MAM
Airtel crosses two million customer landmark in Delhi
Airtel has crossed the two million customer mark in Delhi. With this, Airtel becomes the first mobile operator to complete this milestone in the Capital. The journey to the two million landmark has been stupendous having achieved the second million customers in two years eight months. On this momentous occasion, Airtel felicitated Mr. Vajinder, a dairy owner from Narela village, as its two millionth customer.
Airtel’s commitment to Delhi is amply evident over the years as it has expanded its robust state-of-the art network and world class customer service to connect all of Delhi and the NCR region. In FY 05-06, Airtel invested over Rs 3000 million in Delhi. For the year ahead, Airtel will continue to focus and build on its network and customer service. Airtel currently has over 1600 cell sites in Delhi and the NCR region and plans to increase its number of cell sites by approximately 50%. It also plans to increase its number of Airtel relationship centers by 50% from the present 70. Airtel also has close to 25000 retail outlets.
K Srinivas, CEO, Airtel, Mobiles services, Delhi circle said, “We are delighted with the overwhelming response from our valued customers as we cross this significant milestone. Their confidence in us has helped reiterate our leadership position in Delhi. This achievement, will inspire us to keep up the momentum that will see us scale new heights. Going forward, we will continue with our strategy of broad basing our consumer market. We will deploy a more segmented approach to the market and increase our penetration and preference amongst youth, low end customers and SMEs. Investing in the expansion of our state-of-the art network and infrastructure facilities will be key focus so as to provide unmatched quality of service and coverage to our customers across Delhi. I would like to thank Delhi for helping us achieve the two million mark.”
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.
