MAM
Licious announces association with ‘Bigg Boss’
Mumbai: The famous meat brand Licious has been associated with the country’s most popular and longest-running reality show, Bigg Boss, for its latest season.
As part of this unique integration, Licious will cater to contestants’ meat cravings by setting up an experiential zone called The Licious Greed Zone in the house.
Bigg Boss is arguably the most preferred prime-time viewing by fans of the show, and adding to its charm is the host, Salman Khan. The iconic show enjoys a plethora of celebrity associations and brand engagements, which is a testimony to the show’s value.
Joining this club, Licious will be offering its assorted range of premium quality and delectable varieties of fresh meat, seafood, and ready-to-cook items in the house. The tie-up will also roll out an interactive contest, where Bigg Boss fans will get a chance to vote for their favourite Licious staple on the Licious app. The most-voted dish will be available in the Licious Greed Zone inside the Bigg Boss House. The dish with the maximum number of votes will find its way to the participants, also giving the audience a chance to become a part of the show. To take things a notch higher, three lucky voters will get the golden chance of meeting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan!
Speaking about the association, Licious vice president of brand development Santosh Hegde said, “Bigg Boss is the epitome of entertainment and laughter. The show comes with a massive reach and an ever-increasing viewership, which only makes it a perfect platform for integration. At Licious, we are always looking out for moments to bring people together because food is the greatest emotion for all of us, and nobody knows meat like us! Our partnership with Bigg Boss is an exciting move through which we are ready to showcase our wide variety of products, catering to every taste and craving. What makes it better is that the audience will also get an opportunity to help their favourite housemates get the best of Licious via the greed zone.”
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.
