MAM
Snow World Entertainment names Avanish Agarwal as brand head – Game Palacio pan India
Mumbai: Snow World Entertainment has appointed Avanish Agarwal as its brand head for Game Palacio pan India. In this role, he will drive the growth and expansion of the gaming business. The company has established a strong presence with three operational restaurants and 14 luxury gaming and bar concepts across India.
Avanish brings a proven track record in the food and beverage sector, with expertise in operations, marketing, and brand strategy. His innovative ideas and problem-solving skills have consistently delivered strong results throughout his career.
Snow World Entertainment COO Paramjit Singh Gupta stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Avanish to Snow World Entertainment. We admire Avanish’s ability to bring fresh and bold ideas to the table. His passion for games, experiential events and marketing makes him the perfect fit for our vision of creating unforgettable gaming experiences”.
Agarwal said, “I am thrilled to be joining Snow World Entertainment and to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of these iconic brands.” It excites me to work with the incredible professionals at Snow World Entertainment to enhance brand recognition and the game industry. My primary objectives will be to establish a solid brand position in the market, spur expansion, and develop innovative marketing strategies to support the gaming sector and encourage growth. I’m excited to join this journey and contribute to the company’s success.”
Avanish’s most recent position was at Zoreko, where he oversaw the marketing department, completely rebranded the company, and advanced it in the FEC area. Before Zoreko, he oversaw the marketing department at Nisa Experience-EKAA and KMC. He played a key role in Ekaa, one of Nisa Experience’s restaurants, being included in Asia’s 50 best restaurants. He had previously directed growth and strategy from a business-to-business (B2B) standpoint at Eazydiner and Dineout.
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.
