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Meru Cabs now available on Facebook Messenger
MUMBAI: Meru Cabs announced the integration of their cab booking system with Facebook Messenger to provide automated cab booking facility. Meru’s entire range of taxi services will now be accessible to Facebook users via Facebook Messenger and will allow them book cabs through key words, intelligent chat bot and conversational question- answers through the service called Meru Messenger Bot. With this new development Meru Cabs becomes the first cab services provider in the world to go live with implementing Facebook’s Bot services.
Adopting the latest technology, Meru aims to widen their customer base by providing convenient and seamless cab booking access to its users. Facebook messenger users can simply search “Meru Cabs” on Facebook Messenger under ‘Bots and Business’ section and begin interaction. After the initial mobile number verification (one time), the user starts a normal chat with Meru Messenger Bot to book a cab. Once the location is shared on the chat box, the user is then directed to choosing sedan (Meru) or hatchback (MeruGenie) cab available for the trip with the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). Once confirmed, the Meru Messenger Bot responds on real time basis with the cab details along with the chuffer’s mobile number. The bot enables the user locate his/her cab & check the fare details.
Commenting on the technology implementation, Mr. Siddhartha Pahwa, Group CEO, Meru Cabs said, “Simplifying our customer’s lives and addressing all their requirements is our priority at Meru. With this new feature, the process of booking a cab has become as convenient as chatting with a friend on Facebook messenger. Now, Meru Cabs is available to 150 million Facebook messenger users to book cabs in India.”
Commenting on the technology implementation, Mr. Nilesh Sangoi, CTO, Meru Cabs said, “We are very happy that our system was accepted by the Facebook Developer platform and instantly integrated in the Messenger. We will continue to adopt unique technology products to de-clutter our user’s lives, ensuring convenience & accessibility of our services to them.”
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YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
