MAM
Anil Agarwal Foundation’s multimedia drive targets child hunger & malnutrition
Mumbai: Anil Agarwal Foundation (AAF), the philanthropic arm of Vedanta Limited has launched a campaign, to address the pressing issues of hunger and malnutrition. Beginning with a personal note from the Chairman, Mr. Anil Agarwal that was released today in print media, the multi-media campaign will include video and digital assets as well. Commencing in the month of September, also observed as the National Nutrition Month or ‘Poshan Maah’, the campaign with the tagline ‘Agar Bachpan Se Puchha Khaana Khaya Toh Desh Ka Kal Banaya’ propagates the need to end child hunger and malnutrition, to nurture the untapped potential amongst the less privileged. The campaign represents the Foundation’s dedication to building a better future for children and youth in India by ensuring the proper nourishment required for growth and development.
Commenting on the campaign launch, Hindustan Zinc Ltd. director, Vedanta Ltd and chairperson Priya Agarwal Hebbar said, “Stemming from my father’s personal journey and experiences of hunger in his childhood, and his vision of ensuring food security for each child, the launch of this campaign marks the beginning of a movement that will involve and engage every citizen of India so that together we can give our future generations a fair chance to realize their dreams and take India to even greater heights. It’s our inherent belief that there is potential in every child that needs to be nurtured, not just for their sake but for our country’s future. Through Project Nand Ghar, we are positively impacting children enrolled in our centers yet there’s a lot that needs to be done to help them realize their true potential and for that, we must begin with the elimination of hunger and lack of nutrition.”
The campaign, designed and executed by McCANN Erickson (India), in its initial phase, strives to spread awareness among citizens to end hunger and malnutrition and provide equal opportunities to our future generation for a better tomorrow. With this launch, the Anil Agarwal Foundation has also revealed its new logo, inspired by a growing sapling symbolising AAF’s philosophy that there is potential in everyone that should be recognised and nurtured to flower to its maturity.
McCann Worldgroup India and chairman, Asia Pacific CEO & CCO Prasoon Joshi said, “When campaigns are born out of true-life experiences, they are authentic and strike a genuine chord with people. This is one such campaign which genuinely reflects a felt truth and a true connection. It also tries to shake one out of inertia and move society towards positive action.”
Sensitivity: Internal (C3)
AAF through its flagship social impact project Nand Ghar, a collaborative project between Vedanta and the Government of India is contributing to eliminating hunger and malnutrition across the country. It aims to develop and modernise over 29,000 Anganwadis across the country. It has already developed 5,500 Anganwadis into Nand Ghars so far and is impacting the community, especially children and women at the grassroots through holistic development opportunities. Aligned with the Government of India’s POSHAN Abhiyaan and this year’s Poshan Maah theme of ‘Suposhit Bharat, Sakshar Bharat, Sashakt Bharat’, Nand Ghar has become a true personification of its vision to support health, education, and empowerment along with addressing nutritional needs of all beneficiaries.
Nutrition forms one of the core focus areas of the Nand Ghar initiative. Considering that poor nutrition hampers growth among children, having long-lasting consequences on learning and productivity, the project supports this crucial need. Nutrition is also central to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Two of Zero Hunger. Nand Ghars have been successful in reducing malnourishment among preschool children and include almost 20 per cent fewer children in Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) and moderately Acute Malnourished (MAM) categories as compared to the national average.
Nand Ghars have consistently demonstrated the ability to transform the lives of communities at the grassroots. Earlier this year, AAF launched a nutrition initiative for preschool children to provide multi-millet nutri bars across Anganwadis including Nand Ghars. These bars, rich in protein, fibre, and antioxidants have not only improved the daily nutrient intake of children, but also boosted cognitive development, and reduced absenteeism in Anganwadis.
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.
