MAM
Publicis announces leadership team to for India, Sri Lanka
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe APAC CEO Loris Nold has announced the appointment of a Groupe leadership team to strengthen and accelerate Publicis’s capabilities at a national level across India and Sri Lanka.
The new team will be comprised executive leaders in India and Sri Lanka, including Publicis Media India CEO Anupriya Acharya, Publicis Communications South Asia CEO Saurabh Varma and the newly created role at Publicis Groupe South Asia for chief talent officer Surbhi Gupta.
Additionally, Pankaj Vasani, who recently joined the company, will take on the new role of chief financial officer, Publicis Groupe South Asia. Vasani joins from Vodafone where he served for around five and half years and held various pivotal positions of responsibility in finance and tax.
Nold said, “South Asia is a critical region of utmost strategic importance to us. With the appointment of such a strong leadership team, we are in a unique position to continue driving ‘The Power of One’ philosophy at the country level in this key market. With our recent appointments in Australia, this is a very important move as it allows us to continue driving and accelerating the exciting potential for transforming the way we work with our clients, as well as the opportunity it presents for developing and challenging our own talents.”
The Groupe leadership team’s focus is targeted on helping brands to accelerate their transformation, enhance collaboration and achieve cumulative growth for clients.
The Solution hub leaders who make up the Groupe leadership team in the Indian market will maintain their existing responsibilities and continue to cultivate collaborative opportunities and new business initiatives.
Appointed CEO of Publicis Groupe APAC in February 2018, Nold will work closely with the Groupe Leadership Team, supporting Publicis Groupe as it strengthens its relationship with existing clients, wins the trust of new ones, in addition to cultivating and attracting the brightest talent across its agencies and disciplines in the South Asia region.
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.
