MAM
Paritosh Srivastava appointed COO of Publicis Beehive
MUMBAI: Publicis Communications has announced the appointment of Paritosh Srivastava as its new chief operating officer for Publicis Beehive. He steps in place of Sanjit Shastri, who passed away in September 2017 due to cardiac arrest. The appointment is effective immediately.
Srivastava will continue to lead Publicis Ambience as its COO. He will report to Srija Chatterjee who is the managing director at Publicis Worldwide India.
Publicis Beehive is the advertising agency under Publicis Worldwide, India and is focused on serving startups and entrepreneurial ventures, and manages media buying, creative, PR and activation to drive growth for clients. Some of the clients it serves include Games24x7, Stovekraft, Xseed Education, e-Seva (MoPNG), UBS, MAAC, Tourism Malaysia, DSK Benelli, UIDAI, Pitaara Namkeen, Chambor Cosmetics, Sangeetha Mobiles among others.
Commenting on his additional role within Publicis Worldwide, Srivastava said: “I’m honoured to be given the mandate of leading Publicis Beehive. Unfortunately, the void left by my friend Sanjit Shastri is too big to be filled but I’m glad to be stepping in and look forward to further building on the legacy. Beehive is uniquely positioned in the market with its integrated offering and I see a huge potential for it in current business scenario. We have a solid team at Beehive and can expect some great momentum on both new business and work in the months to come.”
Chatterjee added, “Publicis Beehive is what it is because of the relentless drive by Sanjit Shastri, whose untimely demise shocked one and all. Luckily, he has placed the agency on a pedestal that compares it to some of the best in the country. We are excited to have Paritosh Srivastava take over the reins and bring in his dynamism, astute business sense and ability to connect well with clients to drive the next phase of growth for the agency. I wish him all the luck for the role ahead.”
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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.
