MAM
Parag Milk Foods elevates Nitin Kanodia to lead the brand’s growth sprint
MUMBAI: Parag Milk Foods has flexed some serious in-house muscle by elevating Nitin Kanodia as business head of Avvatar, its homegrown sports and active nutrition brand. The move signals the dairy major’s commitment to backing internal talent as it doubles down on India’s protein boom.
A chartered accountant by training, Kanodia switched lanes from finance to marketing with impressive flair. Over the past few years, he has played a pivotal role in transforming Avvatar from a niche product into a heavyweight challenger to global protein brands, without compromising on desi pride or performance.
Reflecting on his appointment, Kanodia shared, “It has been an incredible journey — from decoding balance sheets to decoding the minds of modern consumers. Avvatar is not just a product; it’s a mission to bridge India’s protein gap with clean, effective, and trusted nutrition. I look forward to scaling this brand, strengthening consumer trust, and innovating across product formats.”
Parag Milk Foods executive director Akshali Shah added, “At Parag, we believe individual growth drives organisational success. Our culture values performance, empowers potential, and encourages cross-functional evolution. Nitin’s progression from finance to marketing to leading Avvatar exemplifies this. We remain committed to balancing external talent with nurturing internal leaders, building a future-ready organization driven by entrepreneurship, agility, and accountability.”
With a rising appetite for clean-label, high-protein products, Avvatar is well-placed to ride the next wave of India’s wellness movement. Under Kanodia, expect the brand to go full throttle and muscling into more shelves, gyms, and breakfast routines nationwide.
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.
