MAM
Vinayak Burman returns with a deeper Season 3 of The Lifeboat
MUMBAI: After striking a chord with listeners across its first two seasons, The Lifeboat, the long-form conversation podcast curated and hosted by Vinayak Burman, is ready to set sail once again. The third season of the series will premiere on December 30, 2025, promising its most evolved and emotionally resonant edition yet.
Season 3 marks a clear shift in tone and texture. Moving beyond surface-level success narratives, the new episodes lean into themes of resilience, reinvention, vulnerability and personal purpose. The result is a more intimate listening experience that invites audiences into the quieter, less spoken-about moments behind ambition and achievement.
The upcoming season brings together a diverse mix of founders, creators, investors and cultural voices. The lineup includes Karan Motwani; Rachana Gupta and Vishal Gupta of Gynoveda; Nitin Jain, Founding and Managing Director of Neo Group; and actress-turned-entrepreneur Pooja Bedi, among others. Each guest offers candid reflections on their personal values, defining career learnings and inner turning points that shaped their journeys.
Launched in November 2023, The Lifeboat began as a refreshingly honest space where entrepreneurs and investors spoke openly about the realities of building and sustaining businesses. Season 1 featured voices such as Shashank Kumar of DeHaat, Vikas Lachhwani of mCaffeine, Supriya Paul and Shobhit Banga of Josh Talks, Smriti Chandra of Abler Nordic India, and Kaushik Mukherjee of Sugar Cosmetics, with conversations centred on navigating uncertainty, failure and growth.
Season 2 widened the lens further, exploring leadership, communication, personal evolution and spirituality. The speaker roster included Shweta Shalini, Priyavrata Mafatlal, Arjun Vaidya, Vineet Rai, Koreel Lahiri, Geetanjali Saxena, Aditya Hegde, Rohan More, Mrunalini Deshmukh and Avanne Dubash.
Reflecting on the new season, Vinayak Burman said the team had intentionally raised the bar. “While Season 1 and Season 2 were warmly received, this time we pushed ourselves to go deeper. The focus is on honesty and reflection. These conversations are richer, the voices more diverse, and the stories feel truly transformative,” he said.
Season 3 of The Lifeboat will be available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms, offering thoughtful listening for anyone curious about what lies beneath success and how people stay afloat when life gets turbulent.
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.
