MAM
Star’s Aamir Khan debut TV show to ride on big money
MUMBAI: Star Network has roped in two main and six associate sponsors for the Aamir Khan-hosted and produced show Satyamev Jayate that launches on 6 May.
Airtel is the presenting sponsor for the show while it is powered by Aquaguard. The associate sponsors are Coca-Cola, Berger Paints, Skoda, Johnson & Johnson, Dixcy Scott and Axis Bank. The company is looking forward to add two more associate sponsors but the deal is in the final stages of negotiation.
Confirming the same, Star India president-ad sales Kevin Vaz said, “We have got eight sponsors already. We are giving our sponsors 100 per cent exclusivity i.e we will not sell spots to any competitor brand on the show. We will be finalising on the remaining two associate sponsors by Friday.”
Associate sponsors have paid Rs 60-70 million while the title sponsors have invested Rs 160-200 million, according to market estimates.
“We are announcing two more associate sponsors soon,” Vaz said, while refusing to divulge any financials.
Satyamev Jayate will be a 13-episodic series with every episode spanning 90 minutes. Vaz said that after spots taken by the title and associate sponsors, every episode will be left with only 30 seconds of free commercial time which the channel plans to sell at a premium of Rs 1 million per 10 second.
“In today’s cluttered market, the kind of reach we are providing will make it a lucrative option for advertisers to be a part of the show,” Vaz said.
Eureka Forbes CEO direct sales and SVP- marketing Marzin R Shroff said, “This is Aamir Khan’s first TV production and it made sense for our Aquaguard brand to be associated with it. The show talks about how Indians can be proud of themselves in battling situations. It is a blind fit for us because even we promote happy, healthy, safe environment. Everything that we do is in line with the show.”
OMD India COO Harish Shriyan said, “The show is based on issues pertaining to almost all of us. I feel the show will provide us a good reach as it will be simulcast in at least seven languages. With this kind of show being backed by Aamir Khan it should be successful.”
The show is based on social issues and will be simulcast on Star Plus (Hindi), Star World (English), Star Jalsha (Bengali), Star Pravah (Marathi), Star Vijay (Tamil), Star Utsav (Hindi), Asianet (Malayalam) and Suvarna (Kannada). The channel will also provide the feed in Telugu but the network does not have a Telugu channel.
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.
