Maharashtra GST Officials Conduct Search at Justdial’s Headquarters in Mumbai

The Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax (GST) department conducted search operations at the Mumbai corporate office of Reliance Retail-owned Justdial. 

In a filing, Justdial confirmed the ongoing search, stating that it is cooperating with GST authorities and providing the required data.

The operation was initiated under Sections 67(1) and 67(2) of the Maharashtra GST Act, 2017. However, the company noted there is no clarity yet on the alleged violations that led to the search.

Founded in 1993 by VSS Mani, Justdial entered the online search engine market in 2007. It provides business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) listings of small and medium enterprises across India. Reliance Retail acquired a 65% controlling stake in the company in 2021, with founder VSS Mani retaining a 10% stake.

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As of Q2 FY25, Justdial hosted 46.2 million listings on its platform and reported a 115% year-on-year jump in net profit to ₹154.07 crore, with operating revenue rising 9.3% to ₹284.83 crore. The platform also attracted 198 million visitors during the quarter, primarily from mobile, desktop, and voice platforms.

This search is part of a broader GST crackdown on Indian companies and startups. Recent actions include operations at FirstCry’s Pune office and GST-related demands from Zomato and Swiggy for alleged tax liabilities.

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