MAM
Consumer sentiment shows recovery and improves with a minor uptick: LSEG-Ipsos PCSI September 2024
Mumbai: Consumer sentiment among urban Indians has improved and has shown recovery in September 2024 with a minor uptick of plus 0.4 percentage points. Further, the consumer sentiment is up for jobs, economy, investments and personal finances, according to the September wave of the LSEG-Ipsos primary consumer sentiment index (PCSI) India report.
The LSEG-Ipsos PCSI maps consumer sentiment on four sub-indices and the sentiment for the PCSI employment onfidence (“Jobs”) sub-index, has seen an uptick of plus 1.1 percentage points, the PCSI urrent personal financial conditions sub index (current conditions) is up plus 0.3 percentage points; the PCSI investment climate (“Investment”) sub-index is up plus 0.1 percentage points; and the PCSI Economic Expectations (“expectations”) sub-index is up plus 0.5 percentage points.
Also, India has ranked second on national index score across 29 markets.
Ipsos India CEO Amit Adarkar has high hopes on H2, after a tough H1: “Consumer sentiment has shown recovery after being downbeat last month. Apart from the overall upswing in consumer confidence this month, the sentiment has shown recovery for daily household spends, savings, economic growth and jobs. H1 saw major cutback by companies due to tough macro conditions and the global economic slowdown, global inflationary conditions and job cuts. With a good monsoon this year and the festival season reaching its pinnacle with navratri, dhanteras and diwali coming up, consumer sentiment should see a major boost next month. Sentiment around jobs improved last month, and this month too consumers are bullish about the job market and hiring. India is also recovering from the havoc unleashed by extreme weather conditions, in terms of flooding and landslides through July and August.”
Consumer sentiment in 29 countries
Among the 29 countries, Singapore (62.5) now holds the highest national index score. Singapore, along with India (62.0) and Indonesia (61.5) are the only countries with a national index score of 60 or higher.
Eleven other countries now show a National Index above the 50-point mark: the Netherlands (57.4), Mexico (55.9), the U.S. (55.0), Great Britain (54.1), Sweden (54.0), Germany (53.7), Thailand (52.1), Brazil (51.3), Malaysia (51.2), South Africa (50.5), and Australia (50.2).
In contrast, just four countries show a National Index below the 40-point mark: South Korea (39.7), Japan (39.4), Hungary (36.4), and Türkiye (30.8).
“Notably, India has stayed among the top three markets with high national index score and stayed resilient despite several global crises popping up one after the other. Being a growth oriented emerging market and its economy resting greatly on domestic consumption, we have been able to offset the extreme impact. Though global economic slowdown has further weakened the rupee against the dollar,” stated Adarkar.
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.
