Brands
ASCI unveils new brand identity, steps up focus on digital
Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) is all set to update its guidelines and procedures according to the changing requirements of the digital era. The advertising industry’s self-regulating body has unveiled a new brand identity on Wednesday to reflect the agenda of becoming future-facing and more inclusive.
As part of the new phase, Asci will update its guidelines and procedures to include ads on the digital media. This will also take note of the changing consumers’ expectations and interactions with advertisements and the media.
It will also expand its offerings and services that will help advertisers balance creativity and responsibility. Apart from its regular complaint management system and process, Asci will now also help advertisers with services that help them “get it right”, with the help of advisory services and research-based insight studies. It has already launched a massive study GenderNext, that looks at gender depiction in advertising, to provide new starting points for advertisers for more progressive gender depictions. It is also in the process of overhauling its Advertising Advisory service, which will support advertisers at the pre-production stage, it said on Wednesday.
Underlining the need for a new brand identity, Asci chairman Subhash Kamath said, “With new-age challenges posed by the digital age, it is imperative for ASCI to take a leap into becoming a contemporary thought leader and add greater value to consumers, industry and all our stakeholders. The new logo represents this very interesting phase of ASCI’s journey, and the vibrant and optimistic outlook of responsible advertising. Our ideology and aim remain unchanged; however, we are now on the path to becoming a more dynamic and future facing organisation.”
The advertising industry’s self-regulatory body will also deploy the latest technology tools, machine learning and AI systems to track and measure advertising content. Technology will help ASCI be more vigilant, more real time in overseeing the sheer explosion of advertising content, and enable a smoother interaction between consumers, industry and other stakeholders.
The new logo signals that ASCI is gearing up towards this fast evolving and dynamic environment of consumers and advertising, said Nihilent Ltd, chief creative officer, KV Sridhar. “The colourful logo palette denotes the vibrancy of advertising and communication itself, as well as the diversity of ASCI’s stakeholders who have taken the oath to self-regulate and create ads with responsibility. The elegant and inclusive font reflects an organisation opening up to newer kinds of stakeholders, an organisation that is collaborative and demonstrates leadership in bringing together the needs of different stakeholders,” said Sridhar, whose agency designed the new logo.
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.
