Brands
Ravi Makwana joins Vadilal as chief marketing officer
AHMEDABAD: Vadilal industries has roped in Ravi Makwana as chief marketing officer, handing the reins of its brand engine to a marketer shaped by some of India’s biggest consumer franchises, just as the ice-cream battle turns ferocious.
Makwana steps in at a moment of intensifying competition, with incumbents turning aggressive and challengers inventing new formats and categories. At vadilal, he will steer brand strategy, product innovation and go-to-market muscle as the company sharpens its play in a rapidly expanding market.
Before this move, Makwana was category head at Zydus Wellness. Earlier, he served as chief marketing officer at Tim Hortons India, part of the seed team that brought the global coffee chain to the country, leading marketing and product from the ground up. He also spent nearly four years at Tata consumer products, rising through roles from head of brand to marketing director, overseeing flagship brands such as Tata salt and managing large portfolios with full P&L responsibility.
His earlier career spans over six years at Asian Paints across brand and sales leadership roles, where he managed businesses worth over Rs 2,000 crore and drove double-digit growth in competitive markets. Makwana began his professional journey at accenture before switching lanes decisively to consumer marketing.
At Vadilal, he will work closely with managing director Himanshu Kanwar and a board comprising Shiv Shivakumar, Nagarajan Sivaramakrishnan, Shalini Raghavan, Gaurav Marathe, Rajesh Gandhi, Devanshu G and Janmajay Gandhi.
With nostalgia on his side and a bruising market ahead, Makwana’s mandate is clear: make Vadilal louder, sharper and harder to beat—one scoop at a time.
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.
