MAM
Out-of-home still rules the streets as brands chase the last unskippable medium
MUMBAI: At Goafest 2025, the session ‘Ignite The Attention – The Last Unskippable Medium’ spotlighted the enduring impact of out-of-home (OOH) advertising. The panel, moderated by Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) CEO Praveen K Vadhera brought together industry heavyweights who argued that while screens can be skipped, billboards can’t be scrolled past.
Adani Group head of corporate branding Ajay Kakar opened the discussion by cutting through the jargon. “Stop dividing media into digital and non-digital”, he said. “What matters is strategy for the consumer, not the medium”. Kakar called on the industry to steer clients, not just serve briefs, and stressed that OOH creatives must be original—not borrowed from print. “The idea is what truly matters—it must create impact”.
Times Innovative Media (Times OOH) CEO Shekhar Narayanaswami defined the category in plain terms: “OOH is the experience of stepping out”. He described the medium as a counter to screen fatigue, offering unavoidable visibility. He added that combining physical ads with social media can amplify brand recall.
Adonmo MD Sandeep Bommireddi reframed digital as a horizontal shift across all media. “Integration, not isolation”, he urged. OOH, he argued, is already evolving into smarter formats through tech overlays and data targeting. “Choose media based on your audience—not out of habit”.
Platinum Communications and Madison Retail Paradigm CEO Dipankar Sanyal emphasised that “gut instinct is no longer king”. Today’s OOH is data-rich, performance-tracked, and measurable. “We now speak in the language of impressions and outcomes”.
Karukrit Advertising VP Promita Saha brought the consumer lens into focus. “The consumer comes before the canvas”, she said, advocating for OOH stories that adapt to cultural moments. “Melas and local events are missed opportunities when we reuse print assets. The environment deserves its own narrative”.
Together, the panellists agreed that OOH is more than a medium—it’s a mindset. One that blends tech, culture, creativity and commerce in an unskippable format.
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.
