MAM
Bombay Shaving Company announces R Ashwin as brand ambassador
New Delhi: Personal care brand Bombay Shaving Company has announced its association with Indian cricketer R Ashwin as its ambassador. The brand has launched an omnichannel campaign called ‘Shave to Shine’ featuring the cricketer in a completely new avatar.
With the festive season coming up in a few months, starting with Rakhi, the brand intends to capture the gifting market with innovative shaving and gifting solutions, it said in a statement.
The campaign is co-developed with The Collective Artist Network and produced by Cutting Crew Films.
Bombay Shaving Company’s VP-marketing, Samriddh Dasgupta said, “Our research indicates that men feel better prepared to take on the day after a great shave. We are all amazing in our own lives, and a good brings out that confidence in us. We have attempted to capture the intelligence, wit, and panache of Ashwin in this very high-style high-impact film. We wanted the viewer to see Ashwin in a completely new avatar – not just as a cricketer, but as the suave R Ashwin off-the-field. As a challenger brand, we invest in disruptive, visually delightful, social media-friendly, and relevant storytelling. The campaign will be taken across products, digital media, retail branding, and influencers.”
Speaking on the association, R Ashwin shared, “I am delighted to support and co-create solutions with Bombay Shaving Company. Shantanu and the team have built an iconic brand that delivers an exemplary experience of grooming through the superior quality of their products. I have used all their hair removal solutions and find them to be thoughtful, consciously created, and specially crafted for Indian men’s skin. I spend a lot of my time on the field and need products that are gentle, effective, and high-quality. I have found that in Bombay Shaving Company. I am superbly excited with what the future holds for the brand, and wish them the best.”
The brand has also launched its flagship silver metal razor in two exciting new colors and material changes. Both the razors are signed by R Ashwin and available on the brand website, as well as on Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Cred, and across many retail outlets.
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.
