MAM
Vikas Gupta replaces Nadkarni as Coca Cola India marketing head
MUMBAI: Coca Cola India has appointed Vikas Gupta as vice president marketing for the India Division that also includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives.
Gupta, who will be assuming his new responsibilities from 1 March, will be stepping into Shripad Nadkarni’s shoes, who quit earlier this year to start his strategic marketing consultancy and implementation firm.
Gupta has worked with companies like Brooke Bond and Proctor & Gamble India in their marketing departments between 1984 and 1994. He joined Coca-Cola India marketing team in 1994 and held various portfolios, including brands and regional marketing assignments. He moved to join The Coca-Cola Company’s marketing team at Atlanta in 1999 until his return to India last year.
Making the announcement, Coca-Cola India president and CEO Sanjiv Gupta said, “We are delighted to have Vikas Gupta join as the new vice president marketing and look forward to propelling our marketing success to even greater heights under his leadership.”
Gupta said, “I am excited to return to the Coca-Cola family that continues to create excitement in the markets and has won scores of national and international marketing excellence awards.”
Gupta is an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur where he specialised in marketing and finance. Along with excellent marketing competencies, he brings along an excellent knowledge of Indian markets, consumer insights and hands-on experience of having worked with the Coca-Cola system in India and Atlanta.
Coke has invested more than $ 1 billion in its Indian operations, emerging as one of the country’s top international investors, employing approximately 6,000 people in India.
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.
