Blue Dart Express has appointed Rabindra Purohit as Vice President, Legal, Compliance & Company Secretary and Key Managerial Personnel (KMP), effective October 10, 2026. This appointment follows the cessation of Tushar Gunderia from his role as Head (Legal & Compliance) and Company Secretary.

The Board of Directors approved the changes during a meeting held on October 9, 2026, based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. The transition aims to facilitate a smooth handover of secretarial, legal, and compliance functions.

Transition of Key Managerial Personnel

Tushar Gunderia ceased to hold the office of Head (Legal & Compliance) and Company Secretary at the close of business hours on October 9, 2026. He will continue employment as 'Corporate Affairs and Legal Counsel' until December 31, 2026, which marks his superannuation date. The Board acknowledged his 28-year tenure with the company, noting his significant contributions to corporate governance and legal frameworks.

Rabindra Purohit brings approximately 25 years of experience in leading legal, secretarial, and compliance functions across diverse industries. A qualified Company Secretary and Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), he holds an LL.B. and B.Com (Hons.) from Berhampur University. Prior to joining Blue Dart, he served as Vice President - Legal, Company Secretary & Compliance Officer at Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. His career also includes leadership roles at NIVEA India, Vodafone India, and Bharti Del Monte Foods Ltd.

Disclosure Details

Purohit will act as one of the KMPs authorised for determining materiality of events and making disclosures to stock exchanges under Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Regulations. The other authorised KMPs remain unchanged. Purohit is not related to any Director of the company.

Governance Continuity

The appointment ensures continuity in regulatory compliance and governance leadership. Gunderia’s departure is structured to allow for a phased transition, with him retaining a senior advisory role until year-end. The Board expressed appreciation for Gunderia’s service, highlighting his role in maintaining an impeccable compliance record with no major regulatory strictures during his tenure.

Blue Dart Express Limited reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, Blue Dart Aviation Limited, received a GST show cause notice of ₹27.1 crore from the Joint Commissioner, Chennai South Commissionerate, Central GST.

The notice, dated September 30, 2026, relates to the scrutiny of GST returns for Financial Years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The aggregate tax demand proposed comprises ₹21.7 crore for FY23 and ₹5.4 crore for FY24, along with applicable interest and penalty under the CGST/TNGST Act, 2017.

Allegations and regulatory basis

The notice was issued under Section 73 of the CGST/TNGST Act, 2017, as applicable to IGST under Section 20 of the IGST Act, 2017. The Joint Commissioner alleged several contraventions regarding input tax credit (ITC) and tax liability reporting.

The specific allegations include:

• Short payment of tax by lowering GST liability in GSTR-03B.
• Excess availment of ITC related to IGST on import of goods in GSTR-03B compared to IGST appearing in GSTR-02A.
• Excess availment of ITC in GSTR-03B over and above ITC appearing in GSTR-09 (Table 8A).
• Reconciliation differences in GSTR-09C between ITC reported in GSTR-09 and books of accounts/financial statements.
• Excess availment of GST ITC in contravention of Section 16(2) of the CGST Act, 2017.

Demand breakdown

Note: Figures are rounded to one decimal place for readability; exact amounts are ₹21,72,60,034 for FY23 and ₹5,37,10,935 for FY24.

Company response

Blue Dart Express stated that the matter is currently at the show-cause stage. The subsidiary will examine the contents of the notice and take appropriate steps, including furnishing its response in accordance with the law. The company disclosed this information pursuant to Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations & Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.