MAM
Soumya Sarkar joins MPG as Sr biz director
Mumbai: Havas Media’s flagship brand, MPG India, has appointed Soumya Sarkar as senior business director.
Based in Mumbai, he will report in to MPG – West India executive director Kunal Jamuar.
In his new role, Sarkar will be responsible for managing the planning function across all brands.
Sarkar said, “I am delighted to be joining MPG. The agency has diverse and exciting brands in its portfolio across different categories and I see an enormous potential not only in the offering but the highly energised team under Kunal.”
MPG India MD Mohit Joshi added, “We are pleased to welcome Soumya in the MPG fold. He comes with a solid background in media planning having worked with number of blue chip brands. His presence will be an asset for the Mumbai operations.”
Sarkar comes in with over 10 years of experience in media planning. His last stint was with MEC where he was working as senior business director and was handling clients like Nivea, Novartis and Cox & Kings. Prior to this he has also worked with Lintas Media Group, Starcom, The Media Edge and Carat.
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.
