MAM
Emirates in five year sponsorship deal with Real Madrid
MUMBAI: Spanish soccer club Real Madrid have confirmed a deal with Emirates airline to be the club‘s shirt sponsor for the next five years.
The name of the United Arab Emirates‘ largest airline will appear on the Whites‘ shirt until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said, “Today we are in our stadium and from here we will work to reinvigorate and realise the dreams of the fans and supporters, who truly control Real Madrid‘s destiny. For two years this has been the home of Emirates. We want a strong Real Madrid and part of that comes through alliances with large companies.
“Today we are making this alliance with the world‘s most important airline and it is an alliance for the present and for the future. Emirates become Real Madrid‘s new main sponsor, two global brands and two leading organisations. This is one of the club‘s most important decisions. It is an honour to link the Emirates name to Real Madrid‘s because they are a perfect partner and ally and we are both in the permanent search of victory.”
The Real Madrid president also referred to the values associated with the club‘s shirt that will have Fly Emirates on the front next season. “From today we will share one of the club‘s great legendary symbols, which is the Real Madrid shirt; the same that has achieved feats, exploits and unique titles; the shirt that represents dedication, talent, effort and also solidarity; a shirt that is now also your shirt. Impossible is nothing. Together we are stronger and we will achieve the aims that we aspire to”.
Emirates Airline, Emirates Group chairman and CEO H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said, “This is the most successful team in the world and we will continue to support it. This new alliance will benefit the Real Madrid fans and we would like the team to come to Dubai because there are many fans there who want to see the best players in the world. In January, the Dubai Football Challenge will take place and we want the Real Madrid to take part in it. Sport has the ability to unite people and to share experiences.”
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.
