MAM
BBC World appoints Vyas Giannetti & MediaCom as its creative and media agencies
MUMBAI: BBC World has assigned creative and media duties in India to Vyas Giannetti Creative and MediaCom India respectively. The agencies will be responsible for providing a creative and effective communication strategy to build on the positioning and reputation of BBC.
Announcing the appointment of the agencies, BBC World head of marketing Seema Kotecha says, “This review gave us an opportunity to witness exceptional ideas presented by some of India’s best agencies. There is a lot of creative talent here and it was a difficult decision. Vyas Giannetti and MediaCom India demonstrated an excellent understanding of the brand, evident in their innovative and strategic recommendations. We believe they will provide the right level of support for the brand in this highly competitive market.”
In August, BBC World invited a number of agencies from Delhi and Mumbai to pitch for the channel’s creative and media responsibilities. The pitch process saw top agencies presenting their ideas and strategies to support the channel’s marketing objectives.
Vyas Giannetti Creative chairperson and chief creative officer Preeti Vyas Giannetti says, “BBC World is trusted and respected globally for its journalistic excellence and extensive analysis of international news. We are very happy to be associated with the BBC World brand, and provide creative support to strengthen the channel’s positioning in India.”
MediaCom president – South Asia Jasmin Sohrabji adds, “We are honoured to have been selected as the media agency for BBC World in India. We look forward to this challenging assignment to effectively and innovatively reach out to the channel’s core audience in this market.”
In April this year, BBC World launched its biggest ever brand campaign in India, Putting News First. Working closely with the appointed agencies, the channel will build and develop the next phase of the campaign, reflecting its core strengths of cutting-edge journalism and world-class news reportage.
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.
