Brands
Vivel celebrates freedom of choice in new campaign
MUMBAI: ITC’s personal care brand, Vivel, has launched its impactful TVC integrating the brand’s philosophy of ‘Ab Samjhauta Nahin’. Vivel believes that being empowered is about having the freedom to make a choice. A choice to be yourself, the way you think, behave or even dress.
The new Aloe Vera soap film tells a story of one such choice. A lot of women feel the pressure to behave or dress like men in order to be successful and accepted in workplaces as equals.
The 30-second story encourages women to retain their softness and empathy while being assertive. She rather believes that softness is not her weakness but rather her identity and strength.
The TVC features veteran TV actor Supriya Pilgaonkar and her daughter Shriya Pilgaonkar. The narrative opens with Shriya Pilgaonkar being depicted as the daughter, who is confident of her choices and expresses it in her soft yet assertive way irrespective of circumstances or individuals. She believes in her strengths and is unwilling to dress like men just to fit in.
The film introduces a fresh and a more meaningful understanding of confidence that is aimed to make a positive and an emotional connection and resonates with the product promise of softness in Vivel Aloe Vera soap. The ad showcases the strength of identity in a woman’s inherent values.
Brand David executive vice-president Ajay Menon says, “We are thrilled to have partnered with ITC to bring alive a campaign that is creating a platform for the brand to engage with its consumers in a much more authentic and deeper level.”
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.
