MAM
Caught in the act Mumbai billboard snaps shut on child abuse offenders
MUMBAI: Mumbai commuters got more than just traffic for company this week, they got a stark reminder that the law is watching. In a city where billboards usually sell dreams, one hoarding on the Santacruz–Chembur Link Road (SCLR) has delivered a jolt of reality with a message that lands like a warning shot: “Kisi bhi bacche ko galat tareeke se chhua toh #POCSOPakadLega.”
At a time when conversations around child safety desperately need amplification, Laqshya Media Group, in collaboration with child protection non-profit Arpan, has transformed one of Mumbai’s busiest corridors into a bold stage for social accountability. As part of Child Safety Week and Arpan’s seventh-edition campaign under the banner #POCSOPakadLega, the agencies installed a giant handcuff-themed billboard not a visual gimmick, but a towering symbol of the consequences awaiting child sexual abuse offenders.
The location was chosen with precision. SCLR connects the Western and Eastern Express Highways and registers over one lakh impressions daily, making it one of the city’s most strategic stretches for mass visibility and long dwell time. For thousands of passing motorists, the message becomes unmissable, urgent, and impossible to scroll past.
The installation itself is a feat of fabrication: an oversized, movable handcuff motif engineered to sit securely on the roadside without obstructing traffic. Behind the scenes, it required weeks of structural planning, permissions, and safety checks all to ensure that the campaign brought maximum impact with zero disruption.
Adding emotional heft to the visual was the presence of Vidya Balan, one of India’s most acclaimed actors and Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador whose image featured across hoardings and digital collateral, lending credibility and gravitas to the cause.
“At a time when posters aren’t enough, we wanted a real-world activation,” said Laqshya Media Group director & CEO Atul Shrivastava. “By turning SCLR into a platform for #POCSOPakadLega, we aimed to make every commuter a witness to this message. Child safety is everyone’s responsibility and offenders will face the law.”
For Arpan, the campaign is part of a long-running effort to dismantle silence around child sexual abuse and bring conversations into public spaces. “Now in its 7th year, Child Safety Week continues to break taboo and encourage communities to speak out,” said Arpan founder & CEO Pooja Taparia. “With its impactful OOH presence, the campaign reached the masses exactly as we intended. Laqshya’s partnership has been crucial in amplifying that reach.”
Laqshya Media Group’s execution underscores a growing trend in out-of-home advertising: turning city infrastructure into vessels of social messaging. Instead of passive visuals, the handcuff activation converts public space into public responsibility, a reminder that awareness isn’t just seen; it is felt.
As the campaign’s BTS video continues to circulate online, the installation stands guard over SCLR, delivering its message repeatedly, relentlessly, and with the full force of the law behind it.
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.
