Brands
Can politicians have a brand value?
MUMBAI: The Bhartiya Janta Party seems to be riding high on its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, especially in the digital world it seems. After offerings like two smartphones – SmartNaMo Saffron One and SmartNaMo Saffron Two, mobile games like Modi Run and Narendra Modi: Game, now there’s a NaMo online store launched by Take India Beyond Merchandising that would sell everything from t-shirts to stationery.
According to a media report, all the items sold on the site are inspired by Modi’s lifestyle and values. The products are differentiated in categories as NaMo Mantra, NaMo Lekh and NaMo Tech.
While the idea seems really interesting on the face of it, if we look back we can hardly think of a politician making a brand. Even after thinking hard the only Indian politicians/political leaders who come to mind to have inspired the masses in terms of products are people like Mahatma Gandhi whose Gandhi topi is still worn by the masses at the time of protests; Indira Gandhi’s style of wearing saris has not only been adapted by bahu Sonia Gandhi but many women who stand to fight for a right; Jawahar Lal Nehru takes the credit for making more than one thing popular including the red rose, the Nehru jacket and topi. Internationally, US president John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a big brand followed by people across the globe.
And since the number of such politicians could be counted on finger tips, we really wonder if politicians can become brand endorsers? “They surely can,” remarks veteran ad man Prahlad Kakar, who thinks that Modi is a big brand in today’s time.
Kakar says that if a politician maintains a stature and charisma big enough to draw the masses, he can become a brand and have a shelf life too. “The chai wallah remark by Modi has pulled the masses and if the online store keeps the focus of the promotion around that, they will benefit hugely,” he quips. According to Kakar, a campaign like “Chai Wallah Upaay Wallah Hai”can really work wonders for brand NaMo.
And it is not just Kakar, even brand consultant Harish Bijoor thinks that in today’s time politicians have become more like a symbol. “The way the actors sell as a symbol, now politicians will sell as well. Right now Narender Modi is very popular among the masses and that is the reason behind so many people making profits out of brand NaMo. However, it may be short-lived. The brand value will survive only till the time the politicians are popular and in sight,” he remarks.
Interestingly, they won’t be surprised to see other politicians becoming a brand. The possibility of products made around the styles and values of Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi (if he survives in the upcoming political battle), Vasundhara Raje among few others, getting popular is high.
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.
