MAM
Hutch joins hand with Microsoft; brings Office on mobile phones
MUMBAI: Hutch has launched ‘Microsoft Outlook on Hutch’, a service that allows Hutch users to access their office emails on their mobile phones. A unique corporate solution developed jointly by Hutch and Microsoft, the service enables access to corporate emails using either SMS or GPRS service.
Announced jointly by Hutchison Essar director Asim Ghosh and Microsoft India managing director Rajiv Kaul, the service will enable Hutch subscribers to read, download, edit and send Microsoft Outlook emails with Microsoft Word, Excel or Power Point, says an official release.
With help of the service, all Hutch users can receive SMS alerts informing them about new email in their corporate mailbox and can read the entire mail on their mobile phones. The Microsoft Outlook on Hutch’ service is secure and accessible even when the user is roaming, claims the release.
The service can be activated by setting an option on the user’s corporate mail server (Microsoft Exchange 2000 / 2003), which allows a copy of office mails to be delivered to the user’s Hutch phone. Using this service, Hutch users can view emails over SMS for a monthly fee of Rs 49, informs the release.
The base service is available to Hutch GPRS users at no extra cost. For those who choose to use the ActiveSync facility to download, edit and send mail in MS Word, Excel or Power Point formats, a fee of RS 499 per month will be applicable.
Commenting on the service, Ghosh, said, “This brings to the mass business market the two great leaps of communication – business email and mobile telephony. Now for the first times, business users can manage their emails with a wide range of handsets – not a service reserved for the elite.”
According to Kaul, said, “The PC and the mobile phone are technological innovations that have dramatically improved the lives of consumers worldwide, and the corporate user in particular has been one of the greatest beneficiaries. The Outlook on Hutch service combines the two to offer a powerful new tool to corporate users – allowing them to use a single device to communicate and stay connected.”
“We are committed to providing our customers with a seamless computing experience. Customers should be able to leverage our technologies and their investments in infrastructure, no matter what access device they use. The launch of this service is a result of that commitment, ” Kaul added.
“We have always worked with leading international partners for developing innovative services for our users. We are happy to be working with Microsoft for bringing corporate solutions that help improve our subscribers’ productivity,” added Ghosh.
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.
