Brands
SoCheers partners with MindPeers to promote employee wellness
Mumbai: Digital agency, SoCheers has partnered with MindPeers, a leading mental strength platform. This association is the agency’s constant and ever-going attempt to create a thriving and conducive work environment for its employees.
The association also marks the Mental Health Awareness Month of May in India. MindPeers, adding renewed efforts, yet again, to effectively and holistically strengthen its most valuable resource – its people.
MindPeers which combines technological empathy and human expertise to provide science-backed interventions and personalised modules, kick-started this partnership by hosting an online event with the agency’s employees where they elucidated on their range of mental health services which includes one-on-one online therapy sessions with seasoned professionals, self-care and personalised digital tools, Neuro Games, Employee Awareness and Uptake, Boats/Workshops, community group sessions, and more. MindPeers also provides a mobile application to facilitate convenience for the users.
The importance of mental health in the workplace is not a new topic anymore. Conversations about overworking, burnout and the lack of work-life balance can be often seen floating on social media. Additionally, as per current reports, mental health issues have been the primary cause for over a quarter, almost 28 per cent, of employee exits in recent times. Moreover, reports also revealed that two out of five employees battle with depression at the workplace today. It’s no wonder that the Indian government allocated a substantial amount of nearly six hundred crores to combat mental health in last year’s budget.
Speaking of this partnership, SoCheers co-founder and director commented, “We are an advertising agency where our core expertise lies in the creative campaigns we consistently build for our brands. We strongly believe that creativity can thrive only if the mind is healthy, clear and, most importantly, happy. There is no denying the fact that everyone, myself included, goes through various episodes in life, some of which can exact a heavy toll on the mind. Hence, this association with MindPeers is crucial in our endeavour to build a workplace where people feel positive and heard, which for me, is critical for the sustainability of any organisation.”
Adding to it, SoCheers head of people operations Nupoor Pradhan said, “SoCheers firmly holds that mental health should be one of the key priorities, not only during a time when people are adjusting to the hybrid work set-up in a post-lockdown era or earlier when the world was going through a crisis but for a more sustained and long-term period. This thought forms the crux of our partnership with MindPeers. Moreover, our core philosophy places the organisation’s culture at the very center and this initiative is a rather significant step towards reinforcing its importance.”
Further, MindPeers founder Kanika Aggarwal said, “We, at MindPeers, consistently work towards making ‘taking care of your mind’ a lifestyle. Therefore, we strongly believe that boarding workplaces to our philosophy would play a vital role in helping us achieve that, as a majority of the population spends a significant amount of their day at their offices. Also, advertising being one of the densely populated ecosystems, to have SoCheers on board is yet another step to help combat mental health issues on a larger front.”
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.
