MAM
AAAI’s Sharma: “Use BARC to improve TAM now”
MUMBAI: Even as the day saw a couple of more notices to unsubscribe from TAM‘s TV ratings. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president Arvind Sharma proffered what could be the way out of the TV ratings crisis the industry is currently grappling with.
“I understand broadcasters have shown a lot of dissatisfaction with TAM,” he said speaking to indiantelevision.com. Let us address the problems that they are having with TAM to a body which is mandated to do TV ratings in India going forward – that is the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). It is an existing body with a CEO and a chairman. It has a strong technical committee and has representation from the IBF, the AAAI and the ISA.”
Sharma highlighted that three constituents – advertisers, broadcasters and agencies – should filter down the various problems broadcasters are having with TAM to three or four issues of broad priority first.
“The collective technical and business leadership of the industry under BARC will definitely find solutions. After all, BARC has developed an expertise and overview of what‘s happening in the world in terms of technology, methodology and what have you. They have gone through various requests for information. They are up to date,” Sharma said.
And what about broadcasters‘ complaints that TAM has not paid heed and addressed their problems in the past? “Any player will listen to collective direction that is given in the interest of industry and business,” pointed out Sharma.
Sharma once again reiterated that there is no question of a ratings blackout scenario becoming a reality in the industry. “We are reaching out to other BARC directors and other players,” he said. “I am optimistic that a solution is going to be found sooner before a situation of a total TV ratings blackout arises.”
Are advertisers and broadcasters going to toe the same line?
Watch this space for further developments!
Brands
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.
