MAM
American Swan ropes in Unmukt Chand as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Global online fashion and lifestyle company American Swan has announced its association with cricketer Unmukt Chand as its sports brand ambassador. The ethos of American Swan resonates with young achievers who have defined their own path and have become exceptionally successful in their respective fields.
American Swan offers an array of trendy and chic products that boasts of highest quality and standard. With a design team based out of Europe, the collection combines a fresh mix of American cool and European chic. The product detailing, packaging and fulfillment is at par with the international standards.
American Swan director and CEO Anurag Rajpal said, “We are delighted to announce our association with Unmukt Chand as the sports’ ambassador for our digital& social media campaigns led by our social media community on Facebook: American Swan Fashion Country. Unmukt comes across as a go-getter, who is passionate and confident about his undertakings. He is someone the youth can relate to, someone who inspires them to believe in their dreams for the sake of achieving their goals. I am sure this alliance will emphasize on the positioning of our brand that celebrates the aspirations and ambitions of young achievers.”
American Swan is a brand that has been built with a keen sense of passion: a passion to create a quality product, a passion to build a vibrant and attractive lifestyle brand, a passion to make it a viable business opportunity. It intends to target the young audience especially between the age group of 25 to 34 as it feels there is a need to bring in the right set of products to match their style and sensibilities keeping the price range attractive still.
Chand said, “I am very excited to be associated with American Swan and it’s a great honor to be able to connect with the youth & inspire them to chase their dreams and script their destinies. I think American Swan is poised to become a benchmark lifestyle brand in the digital space and beyond by offering consumers a vast range of fashion forward and unparalleled quality products. With campaigns like these it is just going to raise the bar for other home-grown fashion and lifestyle brands, undoubtedly. ”
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.
