MAM
Microsoft appoints Ybrant Digital as its sales house, Aidem
MUMBAI: Microsoft Corporation India today announced the appointment of Ybrant Digital Limited as the sales house for the cities outside Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore even as it plans to expand to Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Goa.
Microsoft Advertising’s existing sales partner, AIDEM Ventures, will continue to drive sales in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bangalore.
Microsoft India country director advertising and online Neville Taraporewalla said, “The growth of the Internet is enabling digital lifestyles at a pace never seen before and resultantly we today live in an era of consumption on the go and increasing online conversations. Interestingly, tier II cities are emerging as huge growth drivers and this presents an opportunity for us to enable businesses to engage with their audiences in an effective and interactive manner, like never before. Our tie up with Ybrant Digital is well positioned to help us in this direction, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Ybrant Digital chairman and CEO Suresh Reddy said, “Ybrant is delighted to provide businesses an option to advertise with premium media properties owned by Microsoft. Together with Microsoft we will ensure maximum ROI on the advertising rupee spent by our advertisers across the region.”
The digital advertising market has grown in the recent years crossing the $166 million mark in 2011 and is expected to reach $273 million by 2013, according to ZenithOptimedia in its July 2011 report. Internet is increasingly being consumed in smaller towns and cities. In fact, of India’s total Internet population of 112 million, non-metro cities account for approximately 68 per cent, according to IAMAI, I-Cube.
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in India, Ybrant Digital holds offices in 20 countries, including US, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Ukraine, Serbia, Israel, China, India, and Australia, and with representatives or partners in Spain, Greece and Netherlands.
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.
