Brands
On-demand TV shows add to Adda52 Rummy’s traditional marketing efforts
NEW DELHI: One of the most trusted and rewarding rummy apps in India, Adda52 Rummy, owned by Delta Corporation, has been very successful in engaging its growing user base with incredible mega-tournaments, quick rewards, and varied formats. The platform is expected to grow by 3.5x by 2025 according to an AIGF Study, and this can very well be attributed to its constant innovation and dedication to user experience.
In an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, its head of marketing Ashish Bhakuni said that rummy has been a very popular game in India and is known not for gambling but instead is seen as a tool for socialising and entertainment. “We are trying to capitalise on that thought process only," he says.
As per Bhakuni, Adda52 Rummy is spending 50 per cent of its overall revenue in marketing the property to achieve its desired growth. Adda52.com, in fact, launched its first ever integrated campaign ‘Banao Dimag Ko Ameer’, last year, to showcase the uniqueness of the game and highlighting poker as a mind game that enhances one’s mental skills.
But how relevant is it for a digital game to advertise on traditional media?
Bhakuni replies, “Normally, users do not immediately transact to what they see. It is very important to be retained in the memory of the user for a better brand recall. Omnichannel marketing does it quite well."
Adda52 Rummy currently spends 30 per cent of its overall marketing budgets on media like television, print and OOH.
The strategy for TV is to tap the audience during prime time for the game, which is 7 pm to 1 am. “This is the time when people are active on their mobiles. We run tournaments every hour, starting at 7 pm every evening and create a hook to get people on our platform.”
Bhakuni believes placing the ads beyond the regular drama channels is helping it perform even better. “We are tapping a lot of on-demand content. We recently did very well during a show on Discovery channel. These channels and programmes aggregate audience as the viewership is very high. They offer us guaranteed and very targeted viewership,” he says.
The platform is now trying to deepen its roots in the South Indian states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, where the game is already very popular. It will be running a special campaign around Ugadi celebration, guaranteeing rewards every hour to its consumers.
Bhakuni highlights that the focus is going to be on utilising more data points to enhance user experience in the coming time.
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.
