MAM
KFC’s ‘Aaj ka Special’ looks to break monotony of daily fare
NEW DELHI: Slow braised with the choicest of ingredients, infused with flavourful spices and presented like poetry on a plate – a karela (bitter-gourd) would still be a karela! When your mealtimes are a series of Ks – karela, khichdi, kaddu – or when your week seems such a drag that you can no longer tell the difference between Tuesday or Thursday, KFC’s ‘Aaj ka Special’ campaign hopes to break the monotony with its zing and zest.
Through a series of ‘Aaj ka Special’ digital films that feature Colonel Sanders promoting KFC’s new range of daily special menu items, the fast-food chain is tempting customers to give in to their cravings for crispy fried chicken.
The films, conceptualized by Ogilvy & Mather India, capture relatable moments from everyday life when we grapple with the choices of ‘go with it’ or ‘go for it’.
“When life gets dull and boring, we usually reach out to food and not everyday food, we ask for something special – ‘Aaj ka special kya hai?’. It is precisely this emotion that we’ve latched onto,” said Ogilvy (north) chief creative officer Ritu Sharda. Of course, the message here is to bring out how KFC is all the ‘special’ you need on an otherwise dull day.
KFC India CMO Moksh Chopra tells us what makes ‘Aaj ka Special’ so special indeed. "Whether it is boredom with the same home food or the tyranny of work routine, KFC is a great way to liven up any day and make it just that little bit more special. The different films in this series are sure to strike a chord with KFC fans across all ages,” he said.
In the first of the ‘Aaj Ka Special’ series, the colonel foils a father’s attempt to woo his family with some gourmet karela (is this a thing now?). In another, he shows us how a family that bites into crispy, juicy, KFC chicken together, stays together. Imagine the plight of a husband in the last film, when he’s told that the kids are away, but he has to make do with khichdi. Luckily, the Colonel was right around the corner delivering more than a sermon of ‘Boring hatao, Special le jao’.
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.
