MAM
Audio streaming platform Khabri launches a Talk Show for #VoiceOfBlinds amidst COVID-19 – Sachche Nayak
Khabri, India’s fastest growing audio content platform in regional language, has launched a celebrity-based talk show that will be aired beginning this Saturday. Launched as a part of #VoiceofBlinds initiative by the platform amidst the current situation of lockdown in the Covid-19 pandemic, the show accentuates the need to help the blind population in the current crisis. While touching is a way of life for the blind, the current situation has prohibited touching to control the spread of the infection. The talk show, which is titled “Sachche Nayak”, will be aired every Saturday at 7 pm. A key objective of the talk show is to raise awareness about the current situation, educate Khabri users to stay indoors and take necessary precautions. It will also appeal to users to come forward and help the blind community. Bhojpuri actor, social worker and ex radio producer, Shailesh Sinha will host the talk show. The key highlight of the talk show would be an insightful conversation with a guest celebrity. The launch episode will feature Bhojpuri Superstar Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua) followed by other Sachche Nayaks in episodes to come. They will talk about life in lockdown, the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives and educate people to take necessary steps needed to combat the grim situation.
Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua) expressed hope that the talk show will help spread awareness about the pandemic and rescue the blind community in this hour of crisis. Nirahua said, “Our country is home to nearly 40 million blind people. These people need special care in the current situation. We must offer a helping hand to the blind community in this difficult time.”
Emphasizing the need to raise awareness in the current situation, Mr. Pulkit Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, Khabri, said, “These are testing times for the nation and require all sections of the society to understand the potential threat of the pandemic and exercise utmost caution. Our new talk show Sachche Nayak will reiterate the need to stay indoors and maintain social distancing in this hour of crisis. It will provide useful information about the consequences of the current situation and how life may change for people once the crisis is finally over. In addition, the show will touch upon everyday life related discussions and conclude with a 5 minute interaction with Khabri users.”
The talk show is among the several new initiatives the company plans to reach a wider audience and democratise the audio platform for regional language users. It would further promote the company’s vision of becoming the go-to platform for creation and consumption of audio-based content in various categories and languages.
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.
