Brands
Vega turns helmet apathy into a national wake-up call
PUNE: India’s leading road-safety brand has decided shock works better than sermons. Vega Auto has launched a blunt new nationwide campaign that takes aim at one of the country’s deadliest everyday hypocrisies: the helmet worn on the arm, not on the head.
Titled “Pehnoge toh bachoge”, the initiative reframes helmet usage as a life-and-death choice rather than a fine-avoidance trick. The message is simple, and unforgiving: owning a helmet means nothing if it is not worn.
The trigger is grim arithmetic. India clocks more than 4,00,000 road deaths a year. Over 55,000 of them are two-wheeler riders who had helmets close at hand—but not where they mattered. Vega’s campaign film, set amid the familiarity of Mumbai traffic, turns that statistic into a visceral moment. Fathers, students and office-goers treat helmets as accessories, until a sudden crash cuts the noise. Silence follows. A helmet spins in mid-air. The line lands hard: wearing a helmet saves lives; carrying one does not.
Dilip Chandak, chairman of Vega Auto, says the company’s responsibility does not end at the point of sale. Millions of helmets already sit in Indian homes, he notes. The failure is not supply, but behaviour. The campaign is designed to shift riders from compliance to conviction—from dodging challans to choosing survival.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Belgaum, Vega has built its dominance on affordable, everyday helmets, producing around 10 million units annually. Its portfolio now spans mass-market Vega and premium Axor, alongside riding gear and accessories. But scale, the company suggests, brings obligation.
The campaign rolls out nationally with the hashtag #WearItDontCarryIt, calling on riders, influencers and policymakers to amplify the message. The ambition is cultural, not cosmetic.
India does not need more helmets, Vega argues. It needs fewer excuses.
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.
