MAM
Publicis names Varun Shah EVP & head of Prodigious India, Content Factory India
Mumbai: Publicis Groupe has consolidated the content production arm under Varun Shah and appointed him as executive vice president and head of Prodigious India and Content Factory India. Further strengthening the team, the organisation has elevated Akshay Multani to executive producer (EP), Prodigious and appointed Deepak Bulchandani as head of brand partnerships at Content Factory.
Designed to serve a content-driven media landscape, Prodigious & Content Factory brings together specialist production expertise in video, digital and print to design, produce and deliver branded content across all channels, using the best talent, workflow processes, and tools. “This consolidation furthers the Groupe’s agenda to be future-ready and bring in the needed efficiencies and agility to the production process and capabilities while delivering quality content for brand partners,” said the statement.
Speaking about the new appointments, Publicis Groupe, South Asia CEO, Anupriya Acharya said, “Varun has been instrumental in growing the Prodigious India capabilities and under his leadership we have witnessed phenomenal growth over the past few years. He is a new age production leader with strong appreciation of international and local creativity and demonstrated experience in quality, reliability and business acumen. I am confident that Varun will take Prodigious and Content factory to newer heights.”
On his new assignment, Varun Shah said, “Currently we are one of the country’s leading production houses and our ambition is to bring cutting edge technology and expertise to the market, setting new benchmarks for the industry. The new structure provides a platform to create volume content solutions for our clients across all content types and will help fuel our growth in the platform world. This consolidation will help us streamline our efforts by creating a production model which drives efficiency while delivering world-class branded content across media to our partners.”
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.
