MAM
Gelato Italiano, 9XM join hands to launch Bheegi Billi ice-cream variant
MUMBAI: Ice-cream brand Gelato Italiano has joined hands with music channel 9XM and launched Bheegi Billi Strawberry Splash as the flavour of the month to celebrate February as the month of love and romance.
Bheegi Billi is one of the popular animated characters on 9XM, who is known for strumming his guitar and singing songs.
The new strawberry splash is available to the patrons across 55 outlets of Gelato Italiano.
9X Media EVP Sales Pawan Jailkhani said, “We are delighted to partner with Gelato Italiano in this unique initiative. 9XM’s Bheegi Billi is very popular among youth and so is the range of Gelatos. The popularity of the character and the association for the flavor of the month will definitely receive an overwhelming response from the young patrons of 9XM and Gelato across the nation.”
In addition to the special flavour of the month, 9XM and Gelato Italiano are also giving their patrons an opportunity to help Bheegi Billi win a date by launching a SMS-based contest called the “Bheegi Billi Love Contest”.
The contest will go on till 20 February and the winners of the contest will get a chance to win gift vouchers from Gelato Italiano and 9XM goodies.
Pan India Food Solutions Head-Marketing Vinay Gopinath said, “We are excited about our association with 9XM, one of the leading music channels in the country and have thereby co-branded this month’s flavour of the month ‘Bheegi Billi Strawberry Splash’. Gelato Italiano has specially created this fun and romantic ‘Flavour of the Month’ keeping in mind the fun-loving traits of the popular 9XM character ‘Bheegi Billi’ and Gelato Italiano’s scrumptious flavours.”
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.
