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Suppandi scores big as CIBIL marks 25 years with comic twist
MUMBAI: Who knew a credit score could be comic gold? As Transunion CIBIL celebrates 25 years of building India’s credit backbone, it has teamed up with Amar Chitra Katha’s Tinkle to launch ‘CIBIL Ki Kahaniyan’, where everyone’s favourite dim-witted genius Suppandi moonlights as a financial literacy guru.
The special comic sees Suppandi joined by Simran, his finance-savvy friend, and MyCIBIL, a personification of the credit score itself. Together, the trio use humour to unravel how credit works, why scores matter, and how responsible borrowing can shape futures. With nostalgia for grown-ups and fun for first-time earners, the campaign turns credit literacy into light reading.
The comic book is just one part of a larger silver jubilee push. The outreach spans print, social media, and a multi-city radio campaign, all tied together by the tagline: “Sahi CIBIL Score, Badhaaye Khushi Ka Score”. The message is clear: a healthy score isn’t just a number, it’s a ticket to dreams, from a first home to higher education.
And CIBIL’s track record is as impressive as its storytelling makeover. In 25 years, the bureau has partnered with 7,000 plus institutions, with over 164 million Indians self-monitoring their credit scores as of July 2025. Across two decades, more than 700 million individuals have gained access to formal credit, alongside 36 million commercial entities and 85 million active microfinance borrowers.
Perhaps most striking is the gender shift: in just 10 years, 118 million women have entered the formal credit system, fuelling financial independence across households. Younger borrowers are also surging, thanks to targeted outreach and digital onboarding.
“This milestone is not just about time, it’s about trust,” said Transunion CIBIL MD & CEO Bhavesh Jain who called the campaign a way to blend progress with personal stories of resilience and aspiration.
Meanwhile, Tinkle editor-in-chief Gayathri Chandrasekaran admits her own team now checks their CIBIL scores after crafting the comic: “Suppandi was the perfect pick to make finance fun.”
For a nation where finance often feels intimidating, Suppandi’s misadventures may just make credit confidence the next household story.
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Madhu Soman joins Crestoria Global advisory board role
Former WION, Zee Business executive pivots to mentorship platform
MUMBAI: Madhu Soman, former chief business officer at WION and Zee Business, has joined the board of advisors at Crestoria Global, marking a shift from newsroom leadership to mentorship and education.
Soman, who brings close to three decades of experience across journalism and media management, said the move reflects a growing focus on shaping the next generation through guidance and real-world insight. His career spans leadership roles at organisations including Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and Reuters, covering markets from India to Asia-Pacific.
“Across 28 years in the news business, one idea kept resurfacing as a meaningful off-ramp, teaching, mentorship, and helping shape the next generation,” said Soman. “Crestoria sits right at that intersection.”
Crestoria Global, which positions itself as a long-term education and career advisory platform, focuses on helping students navigate global opportunities through structured guidance, research-led insights and personalised mentorship. The company said its approach goes beyond university admissions to focus on long-term career positioning.
Soman added that the platform’s philosophy of designing success with intent, rather than leaving it to chance, resonated with his own outlook on impact and influence.
The advisory board brings together professionals from diverse fields, including academia, media and corporate leadership, aimed at offering students a broader perspective on career pathways in an increasingly complex global landscape.
As he steps into this new role, Soman’s move signals a wider trend of seasoned industry leaders turning towards mentorship, where experience is not just shared, but scaled for the next generation.
