MAM
Pix’s ‘Big Break’ initiative ahead of digitisation
MUMBAI: In a bid to further engage with its viewers and build brand affinity, English movie channel Pix has announced a new marketing initiative – ‘Big Break’.
The initiative will give a winner the chance to be part of a promo for the channel which will air in March. The winner will also be used for other channels in the MSM stable like Sony and Sab.
Interested parties can submit a one-minute video of themselves online enacting a scene from one of their favourite films. The last date for submission of entries is 18 February.
Ten people will be chosen and flown down to Mumbai. One winner will be chosen and will get the Red Carpet treatment.
“With digitisation going to happen, it is important to remind people that Pix is a ‘must have‘ channel. We want viewers to feel committed towards us and to engage with us,” said Pix business head Sunder Aaron.
A few years back, Pix had launched a short film festival initiative. Inspired by the response to that, the channel has gone ahead with this initiative.
Pix marketing head Himmat Bhutalia noted that channels in the English movie genre are not doing enough at building brands. “While titles are important, brand recall needs to be created. It will be important for viewers to know what a brand stands for as we move into a digital arena where viewers will choose to carry a channel or drop it. Pix has a larger variety in content. We are also more into engaging in a dialogue with viewers,” he said.
In terms of marketing, digital will be a greater focus area for Pix this year. “We took our local initiative chicks On Flicks online. We are also looking at extending our Pix movie Club initiative to the web. Traditional media is a one-way dialogue. With digital you can change your communication faster based on feedback,” averred Bhutalia.
To market ‘Big Break’ the channel is using print, radio and television spots on MTV and Bindass.
Bhutalia expects most respondents to be in the 15-30 year age group. On the ground, the channel is using an event management company to go to select schools and colleges in Mumbai and Delhi. There fans can make a one-minute video.
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.
