MAM
KamaSutra’s steamy ad crashes India-South Africa cricket broadcast
Mumbai : A sultry 20-second condom advertisement caught millions of viewers off guard during the India versus South Africa cricket match, igniting fresh questions about advertising standards and the boundaries of prime-time television in India.
The KamaSutra long-last commercial, which has accumulated 1.5 million YouTube views, depicts a woman in nightwear negotiating a hotel late checkout with her companion. What begins as flirtation escalates into explicit sexual innuendo. “Can we do a late checkout?” she purrs. The exchange culminates in a cut to the KamaSutra box materialising in her hand, complete with a voiceover explaining the product’s climax-delay lubricant. Her final line, delivered in a sultry whisper: “I love it when he takes time.”
The spot’s appearance during live cricket has ignited immediate pushback. Families gather for such matches, children cluster around screens and community viewing remains standard practice. The ad’s unapologetic celebration of female pleasure and extended intimacy, whilst refreshingly frank, landed on screens designed for mass consumption rather than adult-only viewership.
KamaSutra, established in 1991 under the Raymond Group led by Gautam Singhania, has a history of courting controversy. The 1995 Tuffs shoes campaign featuring Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre’s nude photoshoot with a python became emblematic of the brand’s fearless approach. A 1991 KamaSutra campaign with Pooja Bedi similarly scandalised Indian audiences.
Yet this moment differs. Previous campaigns trafficked in shock value at controlled moments. This advertisement breached the sanctuary of prime-time family viewing without warning. It is not the first time such lapses have occurred. During the New Zealand versus Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, explicit web series teasers appeared throughout the broadcast on JioHotstar, drawing complaints from viewers watching with family and children. The pattern suggests systemic failures rather than isolated incidents. The question now facing broadcasters, advertisers and regulators is straightforward: does a product’s legitimacy excuse its placement, or does context matter more than content?
The debate extends beyond prudishness. It concerns the unspoken contract between viewers and broadcasters about what constitutes appropriate timing. Late-night slots exist precisely because they allow adult-oriented content without ambushing unsuspecting audiences.
KamaSutra’s boldness may prove costly or prescient. Either way, the ad has forced India’s media landscape to reckon with where lines ought to be drawn.
Your serve, readers. Head to our LinkedIn page and tell us: bold marketing or botched timing?
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.
