MAM
Haier India teams up with Disney+ Hotstar as an associate sponsor for Wimbledon 2024
Mumbai: Haier India, a global major appliances brand for 15 consecutive years, has come onboard as an associate sponsor with Disney+ Hotstar for the 137th edition of the grass-court Grand Slam Wimbledon Championships 2024. This latest sports collaboration elevates Haier India’s unique and innovative Sport-o-Tainment marketing strategy to new heights.
Recognising the unique opportunity Wimbledon presents, Haier aims to deepen its connection with niche, premium audiences and tennis enthusiasts in India by strategically integrating into the digital landscape. Haier aims to leverage significant visibility through connected TV on Disney + Hotstar during the matches until July 14, 2024.
Commenting on the exciting collaboration, Haier Appliances India president NS Satish said, “In 2024, we have forged meaningful associations with numerous prestigious sports tournaments to reach youth, niche, and premium consumers in India. We are immensely proud of each of these collaborations, all of which have proven successful for the brand. Our latest association with the Wimbledon Championships as an associate sponsor on Disney+ Hotstar holds special significance as it targets niche tennis enthusiasts in India. Through this unique and innovative collaboration, Haier India aims to unlock new opportunities that align with our vision of ‘More Creation, More Possibilities.”
In line with its Sport-o-Tainment marketing strategy, Haier India has been strengthening its consumer connections by investing in varied sporting events, including Roland-Garros and the ATP Tour. These recent collaborations have enabled the brand to reach millions of tennis enthusiasts, fostering stronger and deeper connections with this premium audience in India.
Haier will continue to explore exciting sports partnerships aimed at forging deeper connections with youthful, energetic, premium, and tech-savvy customers nationwide. Driven by youth and leveraging new-age marketing strategies, Haier India is focused on impactful sports marketing to strengthen customer connections, boost brand awareness, foster brand loyalty, and drive business growth in the Indian market.
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.
