Brands
Meesho elevates Nikita Pareek to director – legal
MUMBAI: Nikita Pareek has been promoted to director – legal at Meesho, marking a notable step in her steady rise through the company’s ranks. In her new role, she will help steer the firm’s legal strategy, handle complex commercial and regulatory matters, and support business expansion through stronger compliance and risk management.
Pareek joined Meesho in June 2022 as senior manager – legal and has since climbed the ladder at pace. She moved up to associate director – legal in January 2024 before taking on her latest leadership role at the start of 2026. Her progression reflects both the company’s growth and her expanding responsibilities across strategic legal functions.
Before Meesho, she built experience across several fast-growing technology companies. At EdgeVerve, she handled multi-jurisdictional product licensing and commercial contracts, including IT services, software licensing, robotics, AI, and SaaS agreements. Earlier, at Cure.fit, she led legal launches of key offerings such as Gymfit and Cult Live while advising on fundraising and strategic initiatives.
Her career began at Ola, where she spent four years supporting major expansion plans. As part of the strategic initiatives team, she worked on international market entries in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, and advised on new verticals including financial services, self-drive, and in-car entertainment. She also handled cross-border negotiations and compliance with global data protection standards.
A law graduate from the School of Law, Christ University, Pareek brings more than a decade of legal experience across consumer tech, SaaS, and digital platforms. With her latest promotion, she is set to play a central role in shaping Meesho’s legal and regulatory roadmap as the company continues to scale.
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.
