MAM
Birla Opus paints a bold stroke with free repainting ‘Assurance’ plan
MUMBAI: Looks like Birla Opus is ready to brush away all consumer doubts quite literally. Birla Opus Paints, part of Aditya Birla Group’s Grasim Industries, has unveiled its new ‘Birla Opus Assurance’ campaign, a first-of-its-kind pledge in the Indian paint industry that promises to repaint homes free of charge if customers aren’t satisfied within a year.
The one-year repainting warranty covers all four seasons, putting walls through the ultimate weather test. This goes above and beyond the standard product warranty, signalling Birla Opus Paints’ confidence in its advanced formulations and service quality.
Fronting the colourful campaign are brand ambassadors Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, who don quirky avatars across multiple ad films. Adding extra sparkle to the ensemble are Ranveer Shorey, Murali Sharma, Seema Pahwa and Jaaved Jaaferi, each bringing humour and relatability to the brand’s promise. The ads cheekily thank the design and construction community contractors, architects, and dealers whose word-of-mouth recommendations continue to fuel Birla Opus’ growing popularity in the decorative paints market.
Birla Opus Paints CEO Rakshit Hargave said the campaign reflects the brand’s “deep-rooted belief in the exceptional quality and performance of our products”, while Marketing Head Inderpreet Singh called it “a bold statement of confidence” that balances reassurance with humour.
On the creative front, Leo Burnett South Asia’s CCO Sachin Kamble revealed that the films tap into the Indian psyche of “value, trust, and quality service”, with humour used to tackle everyday consumer concerns about durability and finish.
The ‘Birla Opus Assurance’ campaign will run across Hindi and regional languages, backed by a 360° push spanning TV, digital, and print. With India’s decorative paint sector seeing fierce competition, Birla Opus has taken a bold stroke, one that promises to keep consumers covered, rain or shine.
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.
