MAM
Pepsi commercial premieres on Yahoo! India homepage
MUMBAI: For the first time in India, a streaming ad will appear on the Internet before it appears on television.
The third in Pepsi’s new summer four ad campaign series, premieres on the Yahoo! India website today; two days before the actual release on TV.
The ad directed by 28-year-old Shaad Ali of Saathiya fame stars Kareena Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Fardeen Khan and Saif Ali Khan. They have been cast in a way that makes them real and approachable …the guys and gals next door, states a release.
According to the release, the ad shows an apartment complex where the guys are shacking up together and two girls move in next door. And when their paths cross, the fun begins because the guys will do anything for their Pepsi, even if it means being quite besharam to outwit the cool babes. The guys create a fun world around them full of mischief and daring to do things differently. Counter balancing this is a strong element of girl power – independent and striking out on their own with cool confidence. These insights are the core of the new campaign and it’s all rooted in wanting more Pepsi and more fun out of life,the release adds.
Web surfers will be able to watch the entire ad on the homepage of Yahoo! India on 20 May and 21 May.The ad is also premiering on the Pepsizone on the Yahoo! India website at pepsizone.yahoo.co.in .
Pepsi and Yahoo! have also launched a joint consumer contest, titled “Find Out What’s There?” As part of this contest, consumers who log on to the Yahoo! India site and watch the ad, have to answer two simple questions.
Ten grand prize winners of the contest get an opportunity to spend an evening with one of the stars of the ad. Other contestants have a chance to win one of over a 100 consolation prizes, states the release. The contest is on till 16 June 2003.
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.
