MAM
MSL India announces new appointments to key leadership roles
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engagement firm, MSL India has announced three key leadership appointments, including MSL Bengaluru lead, head of Talent & Culture, and Mumbai lead for FinComm practice. The leadership hires include Ajit Pai as MSL Bengaluru- vice president and lead, Shreela Roy as MSL Mumbai vice president & lead – FinCom practice, and Rajesh Narwankar as MSL India vice president & head of talent & culture.
The strategic hires signify the firm’s continued endeavour to strengthen client relations and build a dynamic workplace that allows growth for all colleagues, said the company in a statement.
Commenting on the appointments, MSL South and South East Asia CEO Amit Misra said, “I am delighted to welcome Ajit, Rajesh and Shreela to MSL. Their collective experience, talent and expertise will be a core ingredient in building a dynamic business environment and furthering our growth. I am confident that their addition to the team will compliment our operations and help us continue enhancing impact for our clients & colleagues.”
Ajit Pai joins MSL with over 17 years of experience in the PR domain. He will be leading MSL Bengaluru and will be responsible for strengthening client relations in the South. Prior to joining MSL, Pai worked with leading PR consultancies such as Adfactors PR, Edelman, APCO Worldwide and BCW.
Shreela Roy brings an extensive 15+ years of experience and knowledge in driving multi-stakeholder integrated communications campaigns across banking, financial services & insurance, private equity, real estate, infrastructure & professional services. Prior to this appointment, Roy was director for corporate & financial practice at Genesis BCW. A few clients that Roy has managed include organisations such as Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Kotak, ICICI Group, DBS, HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, JP Morgan, KPMG, Boston Consulting Group, and Vodafone PLC.
With 15 years of experience in Human Resources, Rajesh Narwankar will lead resource management at MSL and enforce innovative talent movement processes to create a sustainable people infrastructure. His domain expertise lies in talent engagement, HR analytics, performance management and HR Operations. This will be his second stint within the Publicis Groupe ecosystem, as he previously led the same role at Leo Burnett. He has also worked with other organisations including PwC, Edelman & BMR Advisors.
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.
