Brands
Audi India rolls out ‘My Auras’ to turn every drive into a mood-driven escape
MUMBAI: Audi India is dialling up the senses. The German carmaker has unveiled My Auras, a new in-vehicle experience platform that turns the daily drive into a curated mix of sound, comfort and ambience, as luxury carmakers race to make cabins as smart as smartphones.
Launched in Mumbai on 04 February 2026, My Auras is available via MyAudi Connect and integrated directly into compatible Audi vehicles. The promise is simple but ambitious: move ownership beyond mobility and into a hyper-personalised lifestyle experience.
Framed as an extension of Audi’s Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy, the system blends intuitive technology with the emotional side of driving, aiming to forge a tighter bond between car and driver on every trip. A single interface links Apple Music, ambient lighting, climate control, aromatisation, massage and ventilation.
Balbir Singh Dhillon, brand director, Audi India, said the push reflects a customer-centric strategy focused on adaptive experiences. Today’s users, he argued, expect technology to respond to their lives and moods. My Auras delivers preset “moods” that can be calming, energising, festive or celebratory, making each drive feel intentional rather than routine.
At the heart of the system is one-click multi-sensory control. Instead of adjusting settings one by one, drivers can trigger a full atmosphere in a tap, synchronising lighting, music, temperature, seat comfort, massage and ventilation.
Apple Music integration plays a central role, intelligently curating and syncing playlists to match the selected theme, creating a cohesive auditory backdrop for the journey. Advanced airflow management adjusts to driver preferences to maintain cabin comfort in varying conditions.
Seat systems go further. Adaptive massage and temperature controls automatically activate heating, cooling and massage functions based on the chosen mood, pushing the idea of a “personalised drive” into literal physical comfort.
Audi is also pitching My Auras as a stress-buster. The app promotes relaxation on commutes and long journeys, while built-in roadside assistance and vehicle service features within the same application aim to cut driver anxiety and add peace of mind.
There is a celebratory angle too. Festive themes can be customised for cultural and seasonal occasions, and a birthday mode can switch on automatically on a user’s special day, adding a touch of theatre to the start button.
Compatibility stretches across much of Audi India’s line-up, including the Audi A and Q ranges, the e-tron electric range and the RS performance models. Specifically, the feature scales across models such as the A4, Q3, Q3 Sportback, Q5, A6, Q7, Q8, RS Q8 and Q8 e-tron.
Access comes through MyAudi Connect on iPhones or directly via the car’s infotainment system. The system is designed exclusively for iOS users, supported on select iPhone models and iOS versions, and is available on vehicles from model year 2024 onwards.
As cars become software-defined machines, the battleground is shifting from horsepower to headspace. With My Auras, Audi is betting that the future of luxury is not just how a car drives—but how it makes you feel when you do.
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.
