MAM
Brooke Bond Red Label and Ogilvy celebrate India’s favorite social network
Mumbai: On the occasion of World Social Media Day, India’s most popular tea brand- Brooke Bond Red Label, along with their creative agency- Ogilvy, have launched a beautiful film called Red Label- India’s favourite Social Network.
The film draws a parallel between social media lingo such as likes, shares, friend requests, reposts & trends with everyday moments across India, positioning a cup of Red Label tea as an enabler to bring people together. While the world celebrates Social Media Day while being glued to their favourite social media apps, the film reminds people that a cup of tea is India’s original social network, enabling conversations forever. The film is a montage of everyday moments from across the country with tea at the center of bringing people together.
Talking about the campaign, Unilever South Asia vice president, F&B Shiva Krishnamurthy said, “Tea is India’s favourite Social Network. While this is obvious in hindsight, it is a refreshing way to pay tribute to India’s favourite drink. It is only befitting that India’s no. 1 tea brand, Brooke Bond Red Label does this. With its characteristic warmth, Brooke Bond Red Label brings out the uncanny applicability of social media terms to a cup of tea. We are excited to launch this campaign on World Social Media Day and hope that it resonates with all Indian chai lovers.”
Ogilvy India chief creative officers Harshad Rajadhyaksha & Kainaz Karmarkar added, “This campaign is thirteen years old! Our strategy partner Prem had shared this insight with us, back in 2010. Even today, it is super relevant. That is the power of this insight but that is also the power of tea. A simple but well-made cup of tea is the glue our country bonds over. Friends are made, friendships are rekindled and this tea time, is truly a time for togetherness. We love the way our director, Nobin Datta, has captured this. We hope the country loves it as much we do.”
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.
