MAM
Razorfish hires Manan Mehta to steer India biz
MUMBAI: Razorfish, the technology-led digital company from Publicis Groupe, has appointed Manan Mehta as head of business and senior vice president – India.
Mehta joins Razorfish from Taproot where he was managing partner and a founding member of the agency.
Razorfish will be based out of Mumbai and will work with clients across the India region. Mehta’s mandate will be to introduce and establish Razorfish in India and put together an A-team to run client operations.
Mehta said, “The opportunity to impact client’s business by combining cutting edge technology with creativity has compelled me to take up this assignment with Razorfish.” He further added that, “In India, businesses at large have started acknowledging the active role that digital and technology can play in building their brands, and are gearing up to embrace this new world order. In fact, there are organizations that have started institutionalizing social thinking across departments”. He concluded, “I have always admired Razorfish‘s work, and today I am really excited to be part of the team”.
Razorfish managing director Kanika Mathur said, “Manan is an enterprising young professional with solid fundamentals about business and brands. His experience in the field of advertising and communication will be a huge asset for Razorfish in providing focus and driving growth for us in India”.
Publicis had earlier announced the entry of the Razorfish brand in India with the acquisition of Neev Technologies which would now operate as Razorfish Neev.
Razorfish Neev CEO Saurabh Chandra added, “Manan spearheading Razorfish’s India business focus is going to be a great asset for us. His understanding of what brands want and need to succeed in India is superlative. Together with Razorfish Neev’s technical strengths this is a winning combination”.
Manan has earlier worked with Brand David (then RMG DAVID) in Delhi and Mumbai. He then moved to Leo Burnett, Mumbai. While at Leo Burnett apart from handling key brands as brand partner, he was also assigned additional responsibilities of Leo Entertainment as business head and Arc worldwide as retail director.
From Leo Burnett he moved to set up Taproot India as a founding member in the capacity of managing partner. He has worked on numerous brands across various categories such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7UP from PepsiCo’s stable. Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Minute Maid and Maaza from Coca-Cola regional business, Airtel, SET WET, Hair & Care, Tata Capital, Myntra.com, Times Of India, Mumbai Mirror, GQ, Conde Nast, Reliance Mutual Fund, Reliance Capital, Sony Entertainment Television, Reliance Mobile, Cox & Kings and LG.
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.
