MAM
Rage Communications appoints Neville Medhora as India business head
MUMBAI: Rage Communications has appointed Neville Medhora as its head of India business.
Medhora till recently, the head of Rediffusion-Y&R’s Mumbai office joins Rage Communications after a twenty-year journey that traversed across most of the leading advertising agencies in India.
Apart from Rediffusion-Y&R, Neville has had substantial stints with Equus, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA and JWT. In his extensive advertising stint, Medhora has worked with some of the largest and most successful brands in India across many categories.
Rage Communications director Karthik Kumar commented, “Neville’s joining Rage will add significant depth to Rage’s overall offerings in India and bring fresh thinking in the way digital will contribute to its clients building strong and sustainable engagements with their consumers.”
Commenting on his role, Medhora, said, “Indian marketing is on the cusp of change with respect to digital. Marketers are beginning to realize that digital can no longer be an esoteric activity on the margins, but has to be a key ingredient in the marketing playbook of any serious activity. As they realize this, they also discover that digital is not just ‘shoot-and-scoot’ advertising, but a completely new form of engaging with consumers that requires developing deep roots and sustaining it for meaningful impact.”
Neville further added, “Rage in its 20 years of existence has the necessary depth of both, the functional expertise and the technology skills to aid marketers traverse these new challenges, making it a natural choice for me!”
Neville caught the digital bug about six years ago and spearheaded key digital initiatives of clients within the boundaries of the traditional off-line format. Recognizing its inherent weaknesses, he took a sabbatical to learn the intricacies of the digital world. Neville joins Rage Communications fresh from this sabbatical.
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.
