Brands
Spirit of expansion: AABL takes its premium portfolio to Jharkhand
MADHYA PRADESH: Associated Alcohols & Breweries Ltd (AABL) is going east. The Indore-based spirits maker has uncorked its premium portfolio in Jharkhand, bringing Nicobar Indian Dry Gin, Titanium Triple Distilled Vodka, and whiskeys Hillfort and Central Province to a state it reckons is ready for the good stuff.
The move, announced on 11 December, marks another notch in AABL’s strategy to colonise high-potential markets across India. Jharkhand, with its growing urban centres and rising disposable incomes, presents what the company calls “strong growth potential”—corporate speak for “people there want to drink better.”
“We are pleased to introduce our premium portfolio to the Jharkhand market,” says AABL managing director Prasann Kumar Kedia. “The launch marks another significant step in our strategy to expand our national footprint.”
The company is betting that Jharkhand’s “discerning customers” will develop a taste for its craft credentials. Nicobar’s dry gin aims to ride the juniper wave that’s swept urban India, whilst Titanium’s triple-distilled vodka promises the sort of smoothness that makes morning-after regrets slightly less painful. Meanwhile, Hillfort and Central Province target the whiskey drinkers who’ve outgrown the usual suspects.
AABL, which trades on the BSE (scrip code 507526) and NSE (symbol ASALCBR), has been systematically building its presence beyond its Madhya Pradesh heartland. The company operates from Khodigram in Khargone district, where it presumably distills the good stuff before dispatching it to new frontiers.
Whether Jharkhand develops a taste for premium spirits or sticks with the familiar remains to be seen. But AABL is clearly banking on eastern ambitions—one well-crafted tipple at a time.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â 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.
