MAM
R Ashwin teams up with Colgate to talk about oral care for diabetics
Mumbai: Colgate India has roped in cricketer R Ashwin for it’s awareness campaign about oral health for people dealing with diabetes. The campaign has been conceptualised by VMLY&R, in partnership with Redfuse Media.
In the campaign film, Ashwin speaks from his experience of witnessing his father’s experience after being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. The film aims to create awareness of how gum infections can complicate diabetes management.
Run in Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Bengali languages, the campaign will be visible across digital platforms.
The cricketer gives a glimpse of the changes his family had to incorporate into their daily life following the diagnosis. It brings to the forefront the relatively unknown connection between diabetes and its oral complications and highlights the importance of oral health management and the benefits of Colgate’s special oral care toothpaste for people with diabetes.
“Few people realise that diabetes and oral health are very closely related. In fact, nine out of 10 diabetics suffer from oral health problems and these oral health problems further complicate diabetes management. Colgate has launched a special toothpaste for diabetics and an information campaign to educate diabetics about this connection. We are committed to reach millions of people across the country with this educational campaign and make the Colgate for diabetics toothpaste available across the country,” said Colgate-Palmolive (India) vice president marketing Arvind Chintamani.
Research done in India and around the world suggests that people with diabetes are three times more likely to get gum infections as compared to the non-diabetic population. Colgate has launched a special toothpaste for diabetics to address these specific problems, said the statement.
Speaking about the idea behind the campaign, VMLY&R chief creative officer Mukund Olety said, “Colgate toothpaste for the oral health of diabetics is an ayurvedic solution designed with diabetes experts to help with better diabetes care. While the product is clinically proven, we wanted to keep the storytelling warm and emotional. For this campaign, we picked a celebrity not only for his popularity but also because he is a genuine care giver. Ashwin’s father has type-2 diabetes and Ashwin, despite his busy schedule, takes time out to help his father in diabetes care. They have made changes in their lifestyle as well. And all of this can be seen in the film. The film is a slice of their life, a day in their household.”
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.
