MAM
Madison wins Essel media account
In a hotly contested pitch in which leading media specialists participated, Madison Media has won the Rs 1,000 million media account of the Rs 45,000-million Essel Group.
The size of the account has been valued at Rs 1000 million after factoring in the just launched Super Lotto on-line lottery of Playwin Infravest Pvt. Ltd. which contributes substantially to the billing, an official release states. Madison will also be handling the Zee bouquet of 13 channels as well as Agrani Convergence Ltd.
The lottery business in India is already very huge and is estimated to be worth Rs 500 billion. With on-line lotteries coming in, this business is bound to expand and Essel Group’s Playwin through aggressive advertising in press, television and outdoor hopes to enlarge the market and win a substantial share of the enlarged market. On-line lottery is a huge business globally with a market size of $125 billion and an estimated 80 per cent of the UK population participates in on-line lotteries.
The group companies have separately also decided to place all outdoor business through MOMS, the independent specialist outdoor unit of Madison.
Says Punitha Arumugam, COO of Madison Media (West) who led the pitch: “We will make media a key driver to build the various brands of the Essel Group.”
The big clients that Madison Media handles include Coca Cola, P&G, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Sara Lee, Kinetic, Maruti and BPL. Madison Media is a part of Madison Communications, which has specialized units in Creative, Media, PR, Rural and Outdoor.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
