MAM
McDonald’s India appoints Kedar Teny as marketing and digital director
MUMBAI: Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited (HRPL), a master franchisee for west & south India operations of McDonald’s and a subsidiary of Westlife Development, has announced the appointment of Kedar Teny as director-marketing and digital.
Teny’s primary responsibility will be to spearhead and shape the marketing agenda for the brand across consumer engagement platforms and he will directly report to McDonald’s India (west & south) MD Smita Jatia.
Speaking on the new appointment, Jatia said, “We have strengthened our senior management team with the appointment of Kedar Teny as director –marketing and digital. As we make a coordinated and concerted push to augment our status as an innovator and disruptor in the QSR industry, Kedar’s immense creativity and strategic thinking will help strengthen the McDonald’s position in the market.”
“Kedar is joining us at a hugely exciting time. With the expansion of new communications channels and developments across our growing product mix, he will be instrumental in leading and developing successful multi-channel marketing solutions in a fast paced and competitive digital environment,” she added.
Teny began his career with iB&W in 1997 as a Management Trainee and has almost seventeen year of experience in the field of brand management, strategic planning, and advertising. After iB&W, he joined Lowe Worldwide, one of the leading advertising agencies as account executive in 1999. He has also worked on many iconic brands at Lowe Worldwide in India and South East Asia, and thereon made the shift to marketing at Airtel and then Unilever.
A music aficionado and a cricket enthusiast, Teny holds a masters in business administration, with a specialisation in marketing, from the Institute of Management Studies, Indore.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: 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.
