Brands
Milk meets muscle as Sunfeast Supermilk joins Jallikattu festivities
MUMBAI: When tradition charges ahead, brands follow and this Pongal, Sunfeast Supermilk chose to run with the bulls. Drawing from the deep cultural roots shared by Jallikattu and Naatu Maatu Paal (native cow’s milk), Sunfeast Supermilk marked the iconic Tamil festival with a large-scale on-ground activation at Palamedu, the epicentre of the annual bull sport. The initiative unfolded amid footfalls crossing one lakh visitors, turning the celebration into a meeting point of heritage, families and festivity.
At the heart of the action was the brand’s Naatu Maatu Paal zone, designed as a space for physical play, interactive games and community engagement. Beyond the energy of the arena, the activation encouraged visitors, especially children to discover more about Tamil Nadu’s native cow breeds and their cultural importance, blending tradition with digital-first storytelling.
Adding a social-media-friendly flourish, a photo booth featuring life-sized visuals of brand ambassadors Sneha and Simran drew families eager to capture keepsakes from the celebrations, while reinforcing the familiar faces associated with the brand.
Speaking on the initiative, ITC Ltd vice president for (marketing) biscuits and foods division Suraj Kathuria said the activation reflected a shift from product-first messaging to culturally grounded experiences. By linking the purity of native cow’s milk with the legacy of Jallikattu, the brand aimed to underline values long associated with childhood nutrition in Tamil Nadu.
The on-ground buzz was further amplified online, with influencer Sowmya Sathyaraj visiting the venue with her family and sharing moments from the festivities across social platforms, extending the reach of the celebration beyond Palamedu.
As Pongal continues to blend age-old customs with contemporary expression, Sunfeast Supermilk’s Jallikattu presence showed how heritage-led storytelling, when rooted in place and people can still strike a modern chord.
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.
