MAM
Sania Fazal joins JioStar as creative director – brand solutions
Veteran from Viacom18 to lead content partnerships across Colors, Star Plus and JioHotstar.
MUMBAI: Sania Fazal just swapped one spotlight for a bigger stage because when you’re this good at branded storytelling, the next act needs more screens. JioStar has appointed Sania Fazal as creative director for brand solutions, content partnerships & branded content, the company confirmed on 24 February 2026. In her new role based in Mumbai, Fazal will spearhead content integrations and branded narrative work across television and digital platforms targeting the Hindi-speaking market (HSM). Her mandate includes forging strategic partnerships with Colors, Star Plus and JioHotstar, building innovative ad products, creating integration ecosystems, mentoring her team, and crafting frameworks that balance cultural resonance with measurable business growth.
Fazal brings over nine years of experience from Viacom18 Media Private Limited, where she rose to senior manager for brand solutions & partnerships. There she led large-scale branded integrations and content partnerships across flagship shows including Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi and Laughter Chefs work that earned recognition at Goafest, ET Sharks and the Indian Digital Marketing Awards.
Before Viacom18 she worked on customised brand solutions at HT Media Ltd across marquee properties, and had a brief stint at Mitkat Advisory Services. Her career has consistently focused on blending creativity with commercial impact in high-visibility entertainment formats.
The move places Fazal at the helm of JioStar’s branded content push as the merged entity sharpens its edge in television and streaming. For an industry where partnerships can make or break a show’s buzz, her appointment feels like the perfect plot twist bringing proven storytelling chops to a portfolio hungry for fresh, culturally sharp integrations. Whether it’s scripting the next viral moment or mentoring the team behind it, Fazal’s arrival signals JioStar is ready to turn every ad break into appointment viewing.
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.
