Zomato Parent Eternal Faces ₹40.32-Cr GST Blow, Adds to Past Tax Troubles of ₹803 Cr and More

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August 27, 2025

Image of zomato — Zomato Parent Eternal Faces ₹40.32-Cr GST Blow, Adds to Past Tax Troubles of ₹803 Cr and More

Zomato’s parent company Eternal has been served fresh tax demands and penalties of ₹40.32 crore by the goods and services tax (GST) authorities for the period between July 2017 and March 2020.

The order, disclosed in a stock exchange filing on Monday, points to alleged short payment of output tax and excess availment of input tax credit. Eternal has been asked to pay ₹17.19 crore in GST, along with ₹21.42 crore in interest and ₹1.71 crore in penalties.

The company said it intends to appeal against the order, stressing that its legal advisors see merit in its case. “We believe we have a strong position and do not expect any financial impact,” the company said.

This is not the first time the Gurgaon-based food delivery major has been pulled up by tax authorities. In December 2024, Eternal was slapped with a massive ₹803.4 crore demand from GST officials. Earlier, in April 2024, it received an order of ₹11.82 crore, while in 2023 it faced service tax claims of more than ₹184 crore for the period between October 2014 and June 2017.

The new order comes at a time when Zomato’s financial performance shows both top-line growth and profit pressure. For the quarter ended June 2025, the company reported revenue of ₹7,167 crore, a sharp jump from ₹4,206 crore a year earlier. However, net profit fell to ₹25 crore compared to ₹253 crore in the same period last year, hit by higher expenses and promotions.

With the food delivery giant already navigating multiple tax disputes, the latest demand adds to a growing list of regulatory challenges that continue to shadow its rapid growth trajectory.

United Breweries to Invest Rs 90 Crore in Telangana’s Nizam Brewery, Adds 0.4 Mn Hectolitres Canning Capacity Amid Surging Demand for Kingfisher, Ultra and Heineken

Beverages

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August 27, 2025

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Image of United Breweries — United Breweries to Invest Rs 90 Crore in Telangana’s Nizam Brewery, Adds 0.4 Mn Hectolitres Canning Capacity Amid Surging Demand for Kingfisher, Ultra and Heineken

India’s largest brewer, United Breweries Ltd (UBL), is putting Rs 90 crore into a new canning line at its Nizam Brewery in Telangana as it races to keep pace with surging demand for beer in cans.

The facility, expected to be operational within a year, will add 0.4 million hectolitres of capacity on top of the existing 0.5 million hectolitres at the site. The investment, funded through internal accruals, has already cleared all regulatory approvals, including a building permit issued by the Industrial Area Local Authority at Kothlapur earlier this week.

Chairman and managing director Vivek Gupta, who flagged the supply crunch in cans during the Q1FY25 earnings call, said Telangana remains one of India’s most lucrative beer markets and that consumer preference is clearly tilting toward cans. “With this investment, we are confident of gaining market share in this fast-growing format while continuing to serve the iconic taste of Kingfisher, Ultra and Heineken in a way that connects with younger consumers,” Gupta said.

Industry estimates put India’s beer market at around 400 million cases as of mid-2025, with cans moving from the mid-teens to the high teens as a share of volumes in just the past year. Analysts note that premiumisation and at-home consumption have accelerated this shift, making canning capacity a critical lever for growth.

United Breweries currently operates two breweries in Telangana and a network of plants nationwide. The latest expansion at Nizam Brewery underscores its strategy of aligning production with consumer trends, particularly in packaging formats that are gaining ground rapidly.

The company, majority-owned by Dutch brewer Heineken, closed FY24 with steady volume growth despite pricing pressures, and sees the Telangana investment as central to defending its leadership in the country’s competitive beer landscape.

Zepto, Shaadi.com and Bold Care OOH Collab Proves Outdoor Advertising Can Be Witty, Cooperative, and Culturally Relevant

A&M

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August 26, 2025

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Zepto, Shaadi.com, Bold Care — Zepto, Shaadi.com and Bold Care OOH Collab Proves Outdoor Advertising Can Be Witty, Cooperative, and Culturally Relevant

Out-of-home advertising in India has mostly relied on large visuals and visibility. A fresh collaboration between Zepto, Shaadi.com, and Bold Care at Noida Sector 52 Metro Station have shown something unique this time.

Together, the three brands created a sequential storytelling experience that turned commuters’ heads and sparked conversations.

The execution is simple yet effective. The first hoarding from Zepto reads: “Tum, mai aur do cup chai, sukoon wala pyaar.” It sets the context with a line about companionship. Right next to it, Shaadi.com follows with: “Tum aur mai, forever wala pyaar,” shifting the message into the territory of lifelong commitment. Bold Care wraps the sequence with: “Bas mai, pleasure wala pyaar.” The arc is complete, playful, and instantly relatable.

The campaign works because of its tone. The phrasing is minimal, rooted in colloquial Hindi, and easy for daily commuters to absorb. Together, the billboards move from one stage of a relationship to the next in under 20 steps of walking distance. For thousands of metro users, it’s not just an ad series. It’s entertainment in the middle of their commute.

For marketers, the bigger lesson lies in collaboration. Rather than contending with one another to attract eyeballs, brands can leverage one another. Various businesses, such as food delivery, matrimony, wellness, and so on, have united to narrate a single storyline. The outcome is greater than it would have been with each of those ads individually.

This campaign also highlights the potential of cross-brand creativity. A combination that looked unlikely on paper has created a cultural impact on the ground. Zepto, Shaadi.com, and Bold Care have turned OOH into a conversation point, showing that collaboration can often achieve more than stand-alone visibility. For the Indian advertising industry, it’s an example worth noting.

Flipkart Black Redefines Loyalty With Premium Deals, YouTube Premium, and Lifestyle Perks

A&M

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August 26, 2025

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Flipkart is moving beyond discounts and entering the premium membership game with the launch of Flipkart Black. The new service is designed as a step-up from the company’s existing VIP program. Its focus is to capture India’s digitally active, aspirational consumers who demand more than price-based rewards.

Priced at ₹1,499 annually, with an early-bird launch offer of ₹990, Flipkart Black is pitched as a lifestyle membership. The program is anchored by a free one-year subscription to YouTube Premium. That single perk brings ad-free viewing, background play, offline access, and YouTube Music under the umbrella of Flipkart’s membership.

Shopping rewards still feature prominently. Members get access to ‘Black Deals’ from premium brands, 5% cashback in SuperCoins for every order, early entry to sale events, and priority support. These combine to enhance the customer journey while positioning Flipkart as more than just a marketplace.

The service also steps into travel and lifestyle. Partner benefits include ₹1 rescheduling and cancellation options on Cleartrip and Flipkart Travel. With this, the membership spreads across shopping, entertainment, and travel bringing multiple consumer touchpoints under one package.

Speaking on the launch, Rahat Patel, VP – Loyalty at Flipkart, said that customers today expect more control over shopping and entertainment. Flipkart Black, he added, is built to give users those elevated experiences rather than just transactional value.

The move also signals a broader industry shift. Loyalty programs are evolving from discount-driven tactics to experience-driven ecosystems. Flipkart Black is competing directly with services like Amazon Prime but also reaching into lifestyle and entertainment, where content and convenience play equal roles.

For marketers, this is a telling development. Loyalty in India is becoming less about low prices and more about premium experiences. Flipkart Black has stepped into this field with a strong, layered offering that could reset consumer expectations for memberships across categories.

Flipkart Strengthens Cultural Connection with Flipkart Minutes Offering Ganesh Chaturthi Modaks, Decorations, and Tradition at Speed

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August 26, 2025

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Ganesh Chaturthi has remained one of the most popular festivals in India. Homes are decorated, gifts and sweets are exchanged, and families get ready to perform elaborate rituals and serve modaks. The urban reality, however, is faster-paced, and access to festive essentials often needs to match that speed. That’s where Flipkart sees opportunity.

Ahead of the festival, Flipkart Minutes has rolled out a campaign titled “Everything for Bappa and More, in just 10 Minutes!” The film, set in an office space, shows employees breaking into a festive song. Now customers can get decorations, modaks, and every festive essential in minutes.

The core pitch focuses on convenience without missing the emotional value of the festival. A line like “From manjeeras to modaks, get everything in minutes” keeps it crisp. The campaign highlights Flipkart’s growing last-mile delivery promise while also aligning with cultural moments. For shoppers, it simplifies festive preparation. For the brand, it strengthens its image as a quick enabler of tradition.

Marketers can take a clear lesson from this. Festive advertising in India must balance sentiment with function. Brands that link cultural rituals with consumer needs tend to stay ahead. Flipkart’s approach connects respect for tradition and modern shopping behaviour.

At its heart, this is not only about Ganesh Chaturthi. It’s also about where commerce is headed. The rituals matter, but so does quick delivery. Flipkart’s festive move makes that balance work. The result is a story that speaks to consumer sentiment and at the same time reinforces a strong business edge.

Tata Digital Hands CEO Role to Sajith Sivanandan, Bets on His Google Payments Playbook to Counter Reliance, Amazon, Flipkart

Business

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August 26, 2025

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Image of tata digital — Tata Digital Hands CEO Role to Sajith Sivanandan, Bets on His Google Payments Playbook to Counter Reliance, Amazon, Flipkart

Tata Digital is preparing to bring in Sajith Sivanandan as its new chief executive officer, according to people familiar with the development, marking a significant leadership shift at the Tata Sons-owned ecommerce and services arm.

Sivanandan, who is currently president at Reliance Jio Mobile Digital Services, is expected to assume charge in the coming weeks. His appointment follows the exit of Naveen Tahilyani earlier this year and comes at a time when Tata Digital is reshaping its top deck and recalibrating strategy under the close watch of Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran, who recently took direct charge of operations amid the churn.

A seasoned technology leader, Sivanandan spent over a decade at Google, where he headed its payments business and the Next Billion Users initiative across India and Asia-Pacific. His work focused on expanding internet adoption and building digital payment ecosystems at scale, experience that Tata insiders believe will be critical as the group attempts to strengthen its position in one of India’s most competitive markets.

At Tata Digital, his mandate will be clear: sharpen the company’s play in ecommerce, quick commerce, and digital services, sectors dominated by global and domestic giants including Amazon, Walmart-owned Flipkart, and Reliance. The group has invested heavily in its Tata Neu super app, but uptake has been mixed, forcing multiple pivots and strategy resets.

The appointment is seen as an effort to bring stability and renewed focus after a series of leadership exits. For Sivanandan, the move represents a return to leading consumer-facing digital businesses, this time at the helm of one of India’s oldest conglomerates as it races to secure a meaningful share of the country’s digital economy.

Uniqlo Bets Big on India: Targets ₹3,000 Crore Sales by 2028 After Doubling Profits in FY25

Fashion

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August 26, 2025

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Image of uniqlo. — Uniqlo Bets Big on India: Targets ₹3,000 Crore Sales by 2028 After Doubling Profits in FY25

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo has set its sights on tripling sales in India to ₹3,000 crore within the next three years, after crossing the ₹1,000-crore mark in FY25. The company, which entered India just five years ago, is now among the fastest-growing markets for parent group Fast Retailing, the world’s third-largest apparel maker.

Kenji Inoue, chief financial and operating officer of Uniqlo India, told ET that profitability is already keeping pace with the growth curve. Profit after tax more than doubled in FY25 to ₹178.4 crore, translating into a healthy 15 percent margin, while revenue jumped 44 percent year-on-year. “We would like to maintain this kind of high growth,” Inoue said.

To fuel the next phase, Uniqlo is expanding its physical footprint. The retailer currently operates 16 stores and is preparing to scale that to 30 in the near future. Store expansion is expected to be a key driver of revenue as Uniqlo deepens its presence beyond metro markets.

The company is also doubling down on local sourcing. Currently, 15 percent of its products are made in India. That figure is expected to rise to 30 percent as the brand works with domestic partners across categories, though certain products will still be imported due to raw material constraints. “We want to reach that number as early as possible,” Inoue said, while adding that sourcing will be carefully mapped to product feasibility.

India has become central to Fast Retailing’s global playbook. The Japanese giant has set an ambitious target of becoming a ¥10 trillion company, roughly $68 billion, up from around ¥3 trillion today. With India’s fashion market expanding rapidly, Uniqlo sees its local operations not just as a growth engine but as a testing ground for global ambitions.

Glasses in 10 Minutes: Blinkit Lenskart partnership promises eyewear breakthrough with quick delivery

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August 25, 2025

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The Blinkit Lenskart partnership is here, and it’s fast. Customers in seven Indian metros can now order powered glasses delivered in just 10 minutes, Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa announced.

The rollout covers Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Users select simple powers from -0.25 to -1.5 diopters and pick a frame color. No prescription is required, making it an entry-level eyewear service.

It’s a bold move as most eyewear purchases in India remain offline, with shoppers preferring to try frames first. The Blinkit Lenskart partnership focuses on speed and convenience, betting that consumer habits can be shifted by sheer access.

For Blinkit, it’s part of a larger move into high-margin categories. The company has already tested medicine delivery and recently overtook Zomato’s food delivery business in gross order value. With 1.8 million active users across 25 cities, it is expanding the scope of what can be delivered instantly.

If successful, the Blinkit Lenskart partnership could set a new model for eyewear retail. Now it’s moving from physical shops to instant digital orders. For Blinkit, it’s also about proving that quick commerce can extend far beyond food.

Packaged Food Brand No!ce Brings Authentic Recipes and Preservative-Free Bakery to Quick Commerce

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August 25, 2025

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No!ce packaged food — No!ce Brings Authentic Recipes, Artisanal Snacks, and Preservative-Free Bakery to Quick Commerce

In a crowded packaged food market, one brand is taking a different route quietly, but firmly. No!ce, a premium food brand rooted in authenticity, is partnering with over 40 local foodmakers to deliver more than 200 artisanal products across 13 categories. Everyday staples, festive specials, regional treasures, it’s all there. The aim is straightforward: to show that packaged food can still carry the warmth of home.

No!ce’s commitment is clear. Every item avoids palm oil, skips artificial colours, and cuts down on preservatives. Small-batch preparation ensures quality. Its standouts are fresh malai paneer, crisp banana chips, buttery cookies, coconut water, kaju katli. Then come the crowd-pullers like caramelized brioche, crustless sliced bread, chocolate ganache cookies, Punjabi lassi, rasgullas, French rochers, and Kashmir Valley honey. In short, a mix of tradition and trend, winning loyalty among urban buyers who expect more from packaged food.

The brand has also doubled down on authentic recipes that bring back long-lost flavours. Its fresh bakery section boasts sourdough, Japanese shokupan, French croissants, and an impressive collection of tea cakes and biscuits.

No!ce is equally focused on heritage Indian snacks. Achappam, Nipattu, Karam Gavvalu, and Jeera Masala soda are among the treats resurrected from near-extinction. The brand works with small entrepreneurs in Calicut, Mangalore, Sonipat, Karur, and Proddatur to preserve fragile, short-shelf-life foods that had vanished from shelves.

Global influences mix in, too. Alongside Himalayan farm honey and Lonavala chikki, there are Mexican tortilla chips. Besides mathri and aloo bhujia, you’ll find jackfruit crisps and badam chikki.

No!ce’s edge lies in freshness. Its paneer, pressed by hand in muslin cloth, delivers the kind of soft texture that mass-market brands rarely achieve. It is also the only premium food brand on quick-commerce apps offering preservative-free sweets, making it a festive favourite for households demanding purity.

Founder Royan Mody sums it up: “The packaged food space is noisy, but fresh, authentic snacking options are still limited. We wanted to revive forgotten Indian snacks and introduce modern favourites, but without shortcuts. Honest ingredients, authentic recipes, and quality, that’s all we stand for.”

Currently, the brand is live on Instamart across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai.

Delhi High Court Restaurants Case Exposes Rampant Overcharging as Judges Slam Bottled Water Markups and Hidden Fees

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August 25, 2025

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Delhi High Court restaurants — Delhi High Court Restaurants Case Exposes Rampant Overcharging as Judges Slam Bottled Water Markups and Hidden Fees

The Delhi High Court bottled water case has put restaurants on the defensive. The court slammed associations for billing customers above MRP on packaged goods and then adding service charges. The bench called the practice “legally unjustifiable” and a possible abuse of consumer rights.

Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya pressed industry lawyers during hearings on service charge appeals. “If MRP is Rs 10, in what capacity are you charging Rs 100 for a bottle of water? And then on top of that, you impose a service charge?” he asked. The court questioned the authority behind such billing.

Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing restaurant groups, argued that service charges are contractual between diners and establishments. The bench disagreed. It pointed out that restaurants were effectively charging for food, ambience, and service but masking it at inflated rates.

The judges demanded why menus don’t show itemized splits such as Rs 20 for water, Rs 80 for ambience, and Rs 10 for service so customers know what they pay for. “Providing ambience is part of your services. You can’t mask it by charging above MRP,” the court said.

The Delhi HC bottled water case stems from a March 2025 order declaring service charges voluntary, not mandatory. The ruling held that adding such fees by default violated consumer rights. Restaurants appealed, but the bench has signaled strong skepticism.

The next hearing is set for September 22. Until then, the Delhi HC bottled water case makes one thing clear: inflated billing in restaurants is under strict judicial scrutiny.

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