Brands
Shankara brings beauty sleep back with yoga nidra night ritual
MUMBAI: Shankara is betting on a simple idea that feels quietly radical in today’s always-on world: better sleep makes for better skin. The Ayurvedic beauty brand has unveiled the yoga nidra ritual, a structured night-time routine that blends ancient Indian wisdom with modern sleep science.
Positioned as India’s first Ayurvedic night ritual, the offering goes beyond creams and cleansers. It is designed as a full wind-down practice, syncing skincare with the body’s natural repair cycle while encouraging mental stillness before bed.
The ritual unfolds in six steps, each meant to ease the transition from day to night. It begins with the Oudh Nourishing Body Wash, a sulphate-free blend of oudh, neem and honey that cleanses gently while washing away fatigue. This is followed by a Rose Facial Mist infused with Indian roses and aloe vera to hydrate and prep the skin.
An Anti-Age Eye Cream addresses puffiness and dryness caused by long days and longer screen hours. The centrepiece is the Gheesutra 24K Gold Night Cream, formulated with Shata Dhauta Ghrita or 100-times washed ghee, Gold Bhasma, saffron and modern actives to support overnight repair.
To complete the ritual, a Soothing Pillow Mist with lavender, bergamot and patchouli helps signal bedtime to the senses, while a Calming Aromatherapy Essence featuring vetiver, sandalwood and cardamom aims to settle the mind and emotions.
Guided practices such as yoga nidra meditation, hand mudras and aromatic cues are woven into the routine, turning nightly skincare into a deliberate pause rather than a rushed chore.
Shankara India head Astha Katpitia, said the idea grew from an often-missed truth. “Night time is when the body does its strongest repair work, yet the role of good sleep in healthy, glowing skin is frequently overlooked. Ayurveda reminds us that balance is where healing begins, and this ritual brings that wisdom into a modern bedtime routine.”
Priced at Rs 4,260, the yoga nidra ritual is available at www.shankara.in.
In a culture obsessed with instant results, Shankara’s latest launch makes a gentler promise. Slow down, sleep better and let beauty follow.
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.
