Brands
McDowell’s soda brings Viu’s Daggubati show on Gemini TV
MUMBAI: Friendship and brotherhood is the support system that sees millennials through moments of self-doubt and obstacles and is truly responsible for shaping them. McDowell’s No.1 Luxury Soda by United Spirits Limited – a Diageo Group Company is now bringing alive such friendships of well-known personalities from real to reel life in a brand new talk show called No. 1 Yaari in collaboration with Mindshare & Group M. Hosted by superstar Rana Daggubati, who is known to be a true friend in the entertainment industry the show will be aired on Gemini TV starting 25th June, 2017, every Sunday at 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
The show brings together for the first time as guests, Tollywood stars and their real-life BFFs who will share their behind-the-door secrets, friendship defining moments & play interesting games with Rana, while the fans will be treated to some never seen before videos and the audience, get to ask their favorite stars questions to know them better.
This show’s production is managed by Sprint Telefilms and is being directed by Sanjeev K Kumar. Sanjeev has previously been associated with successful shows like Jabardasth, Dhee, Cash N Kevvu Kabaddi and has won various awards for his work. Viewers will be able to catch the extended version of the episode on the VIU APP exclusively– a one stop destination for great original content.
“No. 1 Yaari celebrates the spirit of brotherhood and friendship. Friends have always been a strong support system throughout my personal journey. Although stars are public figures, they always have a private side, which they manage to keep under wraps. It will be fun to uncover their wild sides and reveal how their friendships have shaped their uniqueness on the show,” said Rana Daggubati, actor and host of No. 1 Yaari show.
Commenting the new show, Subroto Geed, Senior Vice President – Marketing, at United Spirits Limited said, “Joining hands with people who matter and curating a show that is all about bonds that last was always on our agenda. No. 1 Yaari by Mc Dowell’s No. 1 Luxury soda aims to cater to the need for interesting content on television. To co-produce a show about a bond that brings about the biggest change in one’s life, we hope our audience go on to rekindle their ‘yaaris’ and reach out to their long lost friends, often lost in our fast paced lives. Also with this we look to take a step forward in creating more engaging content to connect and engage with the youth today!”
Expressing his opinion on the new show, Prasanth Kumar, CEO Mindshare South Asia said “Friendship and brotherhood are one of the most beautiful bonds in one’s life that needs to be relished in this fast pace world. There could not be a better idea than celebrating the same through this show which is India’s first celebrity chat show which will raise a toast to celebrate – Friendship. Bringing this live is exciting. It’s a great platform for the brand. We at Mindshare recognize the consumer tastes as triggers to customizing content. We are looking forward to making this bigger. Thanks to all our partners who have been a great encouragement in this journey”
Commenting on the show, Vishal Kumar Maheshwari, India Country Head, Vuclip said “At Viu, our constant focus is to curate premium content which is engaging and entertaining for today’s digital audience. After the success of PillA & Pelli Gola, we wanted to continue with our promise of fresh and differentiated content for the Telugu Market. We are glad to partner with Mindshare & Group M for No.1 Yaari with Rana Daggubati. In this we found a property that has right combination of content that brings together the fans of Rana from across the nation and fulfills our promise to digital viuers.
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.
