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Tamil Nadu viewers glued to TV; digital catching up fast
MUMBAI: The advertising and marketing industry at the first edition of Tele-Wise Tamil urged the industry to look at TV and digital as two wheels rotating around one axis. They emphasised that the growth of television in any market can’t be calculated without considering that though being invented as isolated units, TV and digital have merged into one big medium now, because of technological advancements.
Lowe Lintas regional creative officer Kapil Mishra said, “Whenever you ask someone to imagine a television, they either think of a box or a flat-screen on a TV unit. But TV is not just the hardware; it is also its software. Technology has separated these two and has liberated the software. Now, television is everywhere; on your phones, laptops, and your tablets.”
He continued by saying that this segregation of TV software and hardware has greatly impacted the TV-viewing culture in every market. He insisted that now marketers and advertisers have more opportunities to harness this medium to reach their audience.
Havas Media Group CEO India & Southeast Asia Anita Nayyar shared similar thoughts as she mentioned that one can’t neglect the role of digital in driving the growth of television medium. “When we think of TV, we should think audio-visual. The content is becoming screen-agnostic now.”
Elaborating more on the potential that the Tamil Nadu market has for digital and TV media, Nayyar noted, “Tamil happens to be the third-largest content language being consumed online. 42 per cent of the population in Tamil Nadu has internet and mobiles. 42 Tamil channels have crossed more than 1 million followers on YouTube. Sun NXT today is talking about 1 crore installs of its app. In fact, Tamil originals are working great on other OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar as well. Mobile definitely is the next most important device in one’s hand for content consumption.”
Nayyar, however, also insisted that growth of alternate screens won’t perish the TV in its original form in Tamil Nadu or India.
She highlighted that while the TV viewership in the country grew by 13 per cent in the last year, in Tamil Nadu this number was 14 per cent. She added that in South India, Tamil Nadu noted the second-highest time spent on television at 215 minutes a day vis-a-vis 245 minutes of Andhra Pradesh.
Shedding some more light on the TV-viewing patterns in the state, Nayyar said, “Tamil Nadu is completely hooked to television. They prefer entertainment over any other genre. At prime time, 73 per cent of viewership is for GECs, which actually falls to an all-day average of 65 per cent. Tamil GEC is at 55.5 per cent in terms of genre preference, and the top shows are recording up to 23.4 TVRs, which are unheard in today’s time. People also prefer to watch movie channels during prime time. News and music viewership is quite low in the night time but they are most preferred in the morning.
Tele-Wise Tamil was the inaugural edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Tele-Wise series that aims to look into the opportunities that regional markets have for broadcasters, advertisers, marketers, and other related shareholders. The event was concluded in Tamil Nadu recently with a number of industry veterans and experts in presence.
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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.
