MAM
McDowell’s No1 Soda all set to enable yaars to celebrate and create music at No1 Yaari Jam Pads
MUMBAI: Over the years, McDowell’s No1 Soda has always brought alive the essence of friendship & Yaari through its unique experiences that were expressed through music as a form of expression. Through its No1 Yaari Jam Originals, the brand brought together celebrity musicians to bond, collaborate and create original music. Its experiential platform- No1 Yaari Jam Fest- a music festival that brought friends together to bond over a shared interest of music and take back yaari memories while featuring renowned artists to jam live on stage. This year, it has deep dived into being an enabler of music through No1 Yaari Jam Pads by providing a platform for yaars to come together, collaborate, jam and bond over music.
With a belief that music has the power to strengthen the bonds of yaari and build new friendships, McDowell’s No1 Soda has associated with Hungama & Hungama Artist Aloud to launch No1 Yaari Jam Pad across 4 cities – Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chandigarh. These fully equipped jam pads are one-of-its-kind platform where music enthusiastic yaars can collaborate with likeminded people to create new music and showcase their stories to the whole world.
The No1 Yaari Jam Pads have been curated to offer facilities for audio recording and music video recording along with access to renowned artists to interact and help them fine tune their music. Original music videos and content from the sessions at No1 Yaari Jam Pads will be driven on digital platforms of McDowell’s No1 Soda, No1 Yaari Jam, Hungama and Hungama Artist Aloud. This year McDowell’s No1 Yaari Jam Pads have provided opportunities to multiple bands like EKA, The Sylvester Trio, Alaap and The Band, Malang, Underground Authority and many more to perform at No1 Yaari Jam Fests across the country with these renowned artists and have performed live in front of thousands of people.
No1 Yaari Jam Pad is part of the strategic partnership between McDowell’s No1 Soda and Hungama, India’s leading digital entertainment company. Together, McDowell’s No1 Soda & Hungama through No1 Yaari Jam Originals have launched three original tracks “Yaarder Shonge-The Festive Song” by Sunidhi Chauhan and Anupam Roy; ‘Yaari Ka Circle’, featuring renowned musicians Tanishk Bagchi, Darshan Raval and Jonita Gandhi and ‘Yaari’ along with Punjabi sensation – Guru Randhawa and popular music producer Vee. These musical tracks celebrate the spirit of festivities and encourage everyone to open their hearts and enjoy every moment with yaars.
The Jam Pads can be accessed through https://www.no1yaarijam.in/ located strategically in each city. These Jam Pads will give artists a platform to grow and showcase their talent .
Speaking on the launch, Mr. Amarpreet Anand, VP & Portfolio Head, Marketing, Diageo India said, “Through No1 Yaari Jam Pads, we enable bands with fully equipped spaces to come together and create music with each other. Jam Pads are designed to become hotspots to allow deep connections to be established through constant collaboration between not just the band members but the larger artists as well.”
Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media, said, “Our partnership with McDowell’s No1 Soda explores the natural synergies between us and No1 Yaari Jam. Deeply entrenched in music, our association has enabled interactions between artists and fans while also providing a platform to emerging musicians. We are glad to have created No1 Yaari Jam Pads and are certain that these will empower bands by providing them a dedicated space for music.”
Soumini Sridhara Paul, Vice-President, Artist Aloud, Hungama Digital Media said, “Hungama Artist Aloud has established itself as the go-to platform for independent content creators and music lovers. Independent artists are increasingly getting recognized for their talent and their music is fast penetrating into the mainstream. We are excited to offer a space that will enable them to unleash their full potential. The episodes created out of their jamming sessions will help the viewers realize the limitless potential of these independent bands.”
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.
