MAM
Motorola launches Signature smartphone with exclusive club privileges
New premium device offers curated luxury experiences via Signature Club.
MUMBAI: Motorola just turned premium into a secret society because when your phone comes with a backstage pass to life, even the specs start feeling like an invitation. Motorola India has unveiled Motorola Signature, positioned as India’s first smartphone with Exclusive Signature Club Privileges, backed by a high-impact campaign film conceptualised and executed by Schbang. The launch took place through a surprise activation at Jio World Drive, BKC, Mumbai, where a still representative beside a podium displaying the device came alive only when someone said “Hello Moto Signature,” unleashing live music, photography, tailoring support, lost wallet assistance and fine dining all dramatising the privileges available through the Signature Club.
The club transforms ownership into access: comprehensive travel and golf assistance, fine dining reservations, art and cultural events, luxury shopping referrals, business support and everyday conveniences. The activation mirrored these services in real time, shifting from stillness to spectacle to showcase the idea of meaningful luxury over mass premium.
Motorola India marketing head Gagandeep Bedi said, “With Motorola Signature, we are not just launching a smartphone, we are launching a statement. The Signature Club is a key to a life less ordinary, and ‘The Signature Surprise’ captures that magic in the most visceral, unforgettable way possible.”
Schbang (AVP) Hitesha Utmani and (Sr. solutions strategist) Shreya Shah added: “Luxury doesn’t announce itself, it reveals itself. The activation wasn’t just content creation, it was a live demonstration of what Signature Club membership actually feels like.”
The campaign positions Motorola Signature for affluent urban consumers cultural leaders, creators, entrepreneurs and decision-makers who value distinction, design, photography and refined innovation over conventional premium benchmarks.
In a smartphone world where everyone wants to stand out, Motorola isn’t selling another device, it’s handing the keys to a quieter, more exclusive kind of spotlight.
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.
