MAM
#MediaMinds2: ILN CEO Angad Bhatia on the unique mix of content & commerce
NEW DELHI: Standing at the unique crossroads where commerce meets content, MensXP founder and Indiatimes Lifestyle Network CEO Angad Bhatia is leading one of India’s top content platform to a completely new realm. His world of content-led-commerce is driven by editorial data and works on the foundation of community-building that can rally behind the unique stuff his in-house production team is creating.
Opening season two of Indiantelevision.com’s Media Minds, Bhatia shares his thoughts on content, commerce, and content-led-commerce in terms of the modern world, how the Covid2019 pandemic has impacted his plans of curating brick-and-mortar shops for a range of products led by content properties like iDiva, MensXP, and What’s Hot.
Speaking about the publishing company’s foray into the unique world, he says, “We definitely see a surge in demand and of course the convenience of online is going to contribute to a major share in the industry. I think what we have done is that we have taken this opportunity to our advantage and we have really thought very deeply; if we have to create products, which are genuinely going to last longer, to be built on tenets of environment, affordability and can last longer.”
Highlighting the process that goes behind creating these unique products, Bhatia notes that his team looks that the white spaces that exist in the marketplace through editorial works and then include the community of millions of followers in taking decisions about what products they require. “We don’t have a robust strategy to tell us what our sourcing should be or we are not mining external data. All we are doing is mining around (editorial) data and figuring out what type of products we should be creating and sourcing.”
To know more about his model of content-led-commerce and his thoughts on current industry trends, watch
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.
