MAM
This Diwali, Lay’s features quirky questions on its packets to engage with customers
NEW DELHI: Adding joy and cheer to the upcoming festive season, Lay’s, one of India’s leading potato chip brands, unveiled a fun and quirky #LaysKhol campaign. As part of this campaign, 18 special limited-edition Lay’s Kholo packs featuring an intriguing question on each pack with a quirky answer given inside the pack have been shared with celebrities, influencers, and friends of Lay’s.
The festive campaign comes at the back of recent PepsiCo India and Airtel announcement of the special initiative to offer up to 2GB of free data for the customers. The first phase of the #LaysKhol campaign featured popular cricketers including Virender Sehwag donning his special Baba Sehwag Avatar, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Brett Lee, Harbhajan Singh, and Rahul Tewatia. In the four-part video series, cricketers engaged in fun, quirky and laughter-inducing dialogues that not only engaged the cricket fans but also drove conversations in a clutter-breaking way.
PepsiCo India senior director and category head – foods Dilen Gandhi said, “During the festive season, consumers seek entertaining and light-hearted content. Building on this insight, our new campaign #LaysKhol features a unique brand association with popular cricketers, celebrities, and budding influencers, who are seen creating engaging and enjoyable content. Through the multi-channel campaign, our objective is to target brand fans, drive engagement, and deepen regional penetration. We’re confident that FAN’s of LAY’S will like the LAY’S Kholo pack memento crafted to add a little more fun and make their experience special.”
The activity has so far received an overwhelming response from the netizens and has garnered significant mileage for the brand with more than 1600 organic posts and stories leading to over 3.58 million engagement on social media.
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.
