Brands
Wham! Mobiles announces Chris Gayle as brand Ambassador
BENGALURU: Indian handset manufacturer, Wham! Mobiles, has announced West Indian and IPL Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) cricketer Chris Gayle as its brand ambassador.
The association at present will be for a year, but Wham Infocom (Wham) managing director Subhash Chandra L says that it would probably be extended for further periods. Chris Gayle will be endorsing the entire range of smart phones, feature phones and tabs for Wham! in India.
Wham! was launched by Sangeetha Mobiles which has been in the mobile retail business for the past 18 years. The company says that with this move, Wham! makes its pitch at the national level – offering cutting edge mobiles at affordable prices with a big star to endorse it for greater impact. For the young generation, who demands a handset packed with many features that’s also easy on the pocket, they can easily relate to Chris Gayle with his power performance on the field just as Wham!
Chandra says, ““We are thrilled to unleash the famous ‘Gayle Storm’ on our customers. We couldn’t find a better connect to our brand than Chris. Wham! is an all-rounder just like our brand ambassador Chris Gayle, providing the ever evolving Indian customers with the latest innovation, the finest features and the most stylish products at an affordable price. Chris Gayle is the perfect embodiment of what Wham! is all about. We are proud to be associated with the all-rounder.”
“We are working on a media plan on how to use Gayle effectively. Quite obviously, television, print and outdoor as well as social media and youtube, digital media would all be a part of those plans. We have no option but to burn money on branding to make our presence felt and to grow our revenues from Rs 60 crore in the last fiscal to about Rs.250-300 crore in this one,” reveals Chandra.
“We are on the verge of finalising the creative agency, and would probably announce this in a couple of days’ time. The main contenders are Beehive Communications and Bengaluru based People along with a couple of other agencies. Beehive has worked with us for our parent company Sangeetha Mobiles in the past. We have been buying media through different agencies, as well as directly. We have a different agency for television, another one for outdoor and another one for print for Sangeetha Mobiles,” adds Chandra.
Wham! has launched 32 models in the market at an attractive price range of Rs 999 to Rs 14,999, within one year. “Our products have been received very well by our Indian customers in 11 states. We aim to expand our presence nationally. With this partnership, we look forward to bringing both the all-rounders – Wham! and Chris Gayle – on the national platform for better delivery and a power-packed performance,” concludes Chandra.
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.
