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Sennheiser joins hands with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD campaign on International Women’s Day
MUMBAI: Sennheiser electronics India Pvt. Ltd, world’s leading manufacturer of microphones and headphones, has joined hands with Farhan Akhtar to further popularize his social campaign – MARD – Men Against Rape and Discrimination.Supporting the International Women’s Day, Sennheiser has redesigned arhan’s Sennheiser-SKM2000 microphone to embody his cause with the ‘MARD moustache’ design.
Farhan performs live for his fans across India under the banner of Farhan Akhtar Live. In an interview, Akhtar stated that he wanted to bring the campaign to education institutions, such as schools and colleges, “to drive home the message that women need to be respected.”With the newly designed MARD microphone for Farhan, Sennheiser aims to reach out to all the fans of Farhan Akhtar Live across schools and colleges to spread the awareness about his campaign to sensitize the male community towards women.
Akhtar conceived MARD after an incident in August 2012 after an incident where a Mumbai lawyer was sexually assaulted and then killed by her home watchman. Akhtar launched his campaign in March 2013. The campaign has been supported by Bollywood celebrities and women’s right activists across India.
Talking about the MARD campaign and his partnership with Sennheiser, Farhan Akhtar said “The tools I use to connect with my audience are important means to spread the message about MARD. In a society where a moustache is associated with masculinity, I wanted a microphone that embodies that message and also strongly supports our campaign towards spreading awareness of gender equality. I have been performing with the Sennheiser SKM 2000 series microphone and feel very comfortable with it. I was pleasantly surprised when Sennheiser offered to support the MARD cause with the new design on my microphone. It sounds beautiful and looks even better now! (Smiles)”
Gunjan Srivastava, Managing Director, Sennheiser India said, “Sennheiser strongly condemns any violence or discrimination against women. We are very happy to be associated with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD initiative. The new moustache design on Farhan’sSennheiser microphone embodies the core of MARD campaign – Men Against Rape &Discrimination. “
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.
