MAM
MS Dhoni invests in home interiors brand HomeLane
MUMBAI: Home interiors company, HomeLane has entered into a three-year strategic partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an equity partner and brand ambassador. As part of the partnership, Dhoni will own equity in HomeLane. The cricketer, popularly known as ‘Captain Cool’, will be HomeLane’s first brand ambassador and the first celebrity to endorse an end-to-end home interiors brand.
As the interiors brand expands into new markets and deepens its presence in its existing 16 cities, its strategic association with MS Dhoni will enable the company to create high decibel visibility and connect with its consumers. HomeLane plans to add 25 new Tier II and Tier III cities over the next two years and has earmarked Rs 100 crore in marketing spends to support this aggressive expansion.
With the upcoming cricket and festive season, HomeLane and MS Dhoni are jointly working on a brand new campaign that will be released during the new IPL season.
Commenting on the partnership, HomeLane founders Srikanth Iyer and Tanuj Choudhry said, “We are excited to partner with MSD. He is not just a sporting legend but also one of the most respected and recognised personalities in India. With the trust & credibility that he brings to the table, we believe that he is the perfect fit for our brand vision. HomeLane was built with the intent of making end-to-end home interiors easy and transparent for consumers anywhere in the country and this strategic partnership is a leap toward that goal.”
VP – marketing, Rajeev G N added, “MS Dhoni’s personal brand resonates very well with HomeLane’s brand values of trust and transparency. He is a sporting giant, a patriot, a dedicated family man, yet very approachable; qualities that inspire across generations. Like HomeLane, he is also an expert at what he does. We are ecstatic to have him on board and look forward to building a strong digital-first brand over the next many years with him.”
Commenting on the association, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “My home, like anyone else, is my comfort zone. A home is built with love and dreams and it’s where we create memories of a lifetime with our loved ones. I believe that HomeLane can help homeowners make their dream home a reality. HomeLane’s vision of making interiors easy and accessible for people across the country is what made me want to be a part of it. With the technology and the expertise that HomeLane brings I look forward to our association in making this vision a reality.”
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.
