MAM
Dubai tries out a bilateral approach to popularise itself
MUMBAI: Dubai has moved into a two-pronged approach-the highly popular website of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) : www.dubaitourism.ae and the Earth Television’s worldwide network of cameras for daily live broadcasts to millions of people across the world.
The DTCM website has seen a unique growth since its launch almost five years ago and has generated an all-time record of 586,761 hits on a single day in January, an average of over four million hits a month.
The DTCM Manager, Information and Technology, Suhail Buhelaiba, said, “The website www.dubaitourism.ae has been playing a crucial role in broadening the international profile of Dubai.On January 20, we crossed the 550,000 mark.”
In 1999, the DTCM department joined the list of organizations to launch online reservation service to allow the visitors to find and reserve rooms at Dubai hotels and hotel apartments.
The other novel feature is the electronic One Stop Information Centre (OSIC), which allows public to obtain vital information about Dubai tourism and business sectors. Visa information and tourist tips, Photo Gallery, Dubai Locator, Dubai Weather and Calendar of Events and Exhibitions are other attractions on the website.The website has English, Japanese and Arabic versions as well.
The EarthTv’s latest network of cameras is said to be the world’s largest remote-controlled broadcast camera network, with 60 camera countings. Dubai is EarthTV’s first Middle East camera destination. Earth television network’s main objective is to produce a daily 24-hour live program from locations around the world. This new technology makes it possible for the first time ever to broadcast live the most beautiful places and fascinating locations of our planet.
Earth TV, a part of Germany’s TELCAST Media Group offers viewers what is going on in the world. The networking got off to a sparkling start and captured the spectacular shots of Dubai’s New Year Eve fireworks for the network’s TimeLapse special programme broadcast in Belgium, Hong Kong, pan-Asia, Portugal,
Turkey and the UK. This special broadcast was shown on different TV channels.
Additional features provided by EarthTV are a link on the EarthTV’s
website to Dubai’s website, detailed monthly report, and the use of live broadcast signal locally(Germany).
The DTCM has had an office in India for the past six years which has been functioning as an initial contact point and query-processing centre for companies interested in doing business in Dubai, for the Indian travel trade and the media.
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.
