Brands
VLCC & Cigalah partner for 6 centres in Saudi in 3 yrs
MUMBAI: VLCC, a global beauty and wellness brand, and Cigalah, a Saudi business house and healthcare services and products player, has announced a strategic partnership to launch VLCC Wellness centres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), starting with Jeddah.
VLCC will be setting up its centers, starting with Jeddah, in partnership with Cigalah and will be offering the entire portfolio of weight management and beauty services, under one roof. The company plans to set up six VLCC Wellness centers in the Kingdom in the next three years, with the first one scheduled to open in Jeddah by November this year. It is estimated that a total investment of over AED 30 million (Rs 522.5 million) will go into setting up these centres.
VLCC Group chairman Mukesh Luthra said, “We have been very keen to enter the Saudi market and look forward to working to address the issues of obesity and overweight, which – in KSA too, as in most parts of the world – is increasingly become a public health hazard.”
Cigalah Group Abdullah director Abdullah Yaser Naghi said: “Cigalah and VLCC see tremendous synergies and we look forward to working closely and making the residents of Saudi Arabia healthier and fitter.”
As per a survey released by Lancet in 2016, KSA is the third most obese nation in the world, after Malta and Switzerland, some of the reasons being unhealthy eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity or exercise.
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.
