Brands
Big FM storms into real estate with Rs 1,200 crore flagship bet
Radio network targets Rs 3,500–4,000 crore in three years as it pivots from airwaves to acres
Lucknow: Big FM is tuning into a new frequency. The radio network owned by Reliance Broadcast Network Limited has stormed into real estate, unveiling Big FM Realty with a swaggering Rs 3,500–4,000 crore revenue target over the next three years.
The opening gambit is bold. The company has snapped up 80 acres on the Lucknow–Bahraich Road in Uttar Pradesh for a flagship mixed-use township expected to rake in Rs 1,200 crore.
The bet rests on asphalt and ambition. The four-laning of NH-927 is set to slash travel time between Lucknow and Bahraich from nearly two hours to about one, tightening links to the Nepal border and fuelling commercial momentum. Bahraich, long overlooked, is now pitched as an emerging growth corridor with rising appetite for modern homes and retail space.
A spokesperson for Big FM Realty called the move “a defining chapter in our journey of growth and transformation”.
“The launch of Big FM Realty marks a defining chapter in our journey of growth and transformation. Having built a strong national identity rooted in trust, authenticity and scale through our media heritage, we are now extending that same commitment to excellence into real estate. We aim to deliver thoughtfully designed, high-quality developments that blend innovation with practicality, ensuring lasting financial and lifestyle benefits for our customers. Bahraich, with its promising growth developments and strategic location, represents an exciting high-potential opportunity, and this project serves as the strong foundation for our wider vision in shaping modern urban living across India.”
The masterplan promises more than plots. The township will weave together premium plotted development, group housing, commercial and retail spaces, pitched as an integrated lifestyle destination with green landscapes, smart infrastructure and sustainable planning aimed at middle-class and upwardly mobile buyers.
Big FM is no small player. The network spans 58 stations across 23 states, reaching over 34 crore listeners in more than 1,900 towns and 1.2 lakh villages. Nearly two decades of brand-building in audio, it hopes, will translate into trust on the ground.
From commanding the airwaves to carving up land banks, Big FM is wagering that credibility can be converted into concrete. The microphone is down; the earthmovers are warming up.
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.
