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AION-Tech names Biju Mathews as president and ceo
Veteran tech executive takes charge as firm pivots to platform-led, analytics-driven scale
Hyderabad: AION-Tech Solutions has turned to a seasoned operator to script its next chapter. The listed business intelligence and IT services firm has appointed Biju Mathews as president and chief executive officer, signalling a sharper push towards platform-led growth and long-term value creation.
AION-Tech Solutions Ltd., formerly Goldstone Technologies, framed the move as a strategic reset aimed at accelerating organisational growth and strengthening value creation in a market that rewards scale, predictability and capital discipline.
Mathews arrives with more than 32 years of experience spanning enterprise technology, analytics platforms, digital commerce, media and EV mobility. His career has been built around steering companies through inflection points, strategic resets and business-model transitions, often in high-pressure, margin-sensitive environments. His toolkit includes enterprise strategy, fundraising, partnerships and operational transformation, with a tilt towards shifting firms from services-heavy models to platform, SaaS and analytics-led revenues.
“AION-Tech is entering a pivotal phase of evolution as we sharpen our focus on platform-led growth and long-term value creation. Biju brings clarity of vision, operational maturity, and the leadership depth required to steer the organization through this next chapter. The Board looks forward to working closely with him as we continue to strengthen our strategic positioning and execution focus,” said Chanakya Bellam, director, AION-Tech Solutions.
Mathews most recently served as chief executive officer of ETO Motors, where he helped position the firm in clean mobility. His stint focused on expanding EV fleets, strengthening deployment capabilities and forging partnerships to improve operating efficiency in a capital-intensive sector.
“Technology and data are increasingly central to how enterprises make decisions, drive resilience, and create measurable impact. AION-Tech has a strong foundation and significant opportunity to scale its analytics and platform-led capabilities. I look forward to working closely with our teams and stakeholders to strengthen execution discipline, enhance delivery predictability, deepen client relationships, and build sustainable long-term value,” said Mathews.
Before ETO, Mathews spent over eight years at Abhibus in the online commerce space, serving as chief operating officer and chief strategy officer. There he led business development, sales, marketing and operations, working with the board to scale the platform, widen services and institutionalise performance frameworks in a competitive digital market.
Earlier, he logged nearly two decades at the Indian Express Mumbai Group as vice president, handling business and financial management, restructuring, revenue strategy and operating-model shifts. The mix of digital and infrastructure-linked businesses, the company says, gives him a dual lens on innovation and operational risk.
Known for a hands-on management style and a strong boardroom presence, Mathews has often been tasked with moving firms from founder-led setups to process-driven, institutionally run enterprises. His appointment, AION-Tech argues, underlines a push towards tighter governance, clearer execution and scalable growth.
Founded in 1994, AION-Tech positions itself as a full-stack data analytics and sustainable solutions player, offering services in data planning, sustainability and zero-emission platform development. The pitch is speed and impact—cutting time-to-value so clients can turn data into business outcomes faster.
For AION-Tech, the bet is that disciplined leadership can unlock the next curve of growth. For Mathews, the mandate is blunt: scale up, tighten execution and make the numbers talk. In a market that has little patience for drift, the clock is already ticking.
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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.
