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Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar
MUMBAI: Looks like the Bigg just got bigger! Bigg Boss Tamil Season 9 stormed onto Jiohotstar with a blockbuster opening, clocking an impressive 7.8 crore minutes of cumulative watch time on day one. That’s nearly 1.74 times the reach of its previous season, proof that Tamil Nadu’s favourite reality show still reigns supreme in living rooms across the state.
Hosted by Vijay Sethupathi for the second consecutive year, the show’s new season has lit up the festive mood, turning October into appointment-viewing season. And this time, fans aren’t just watching, they’re part of the action.
Jiohotstar has reimagined the Bigg Boss experience with interactive features like a 24 by 7 live chat feed and a buzzing fanzone where viewers can react to every drama-filled twist in real time. Adding a desi digital twist, Meme the Moment lets fans capture and share their favourite on-screen moments instantly, making sure every eyebrow raise and argument lives on beyond the episode.
Interestingly, nearly 47 per cent of total opening-day viewing came via connected TVs, showing how Tamil audiences increasingly prefer gathering around the big screen for a shared family watch.
Jiostar head of cluster, entertainment (South) Krishnan Kutty said, “The strong opening reflects how audiences are embracing interactive formats. We’re turning passive viewing into active participation, setting new standards for content and community engagement.”
With title sponsor Healthy Grocer and brand powerhouses like Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki and Head & Shoulders joining the line-up, Bigg Boss Tamil 9 has kicked off not just a show but a full-blown celebration of entertainment, technology and fandom.
After roaring success across Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada editions, the Tamil season’s fiery opening cements Jiohotstar’s position as the streaming stage where audiences don’t just watch, they live the drama.
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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.
