MAM
“Swag is permanent” says Pepsi® to college-goers”
MUMBAI: Temperatures are on the rise across North and South Campus as the cutoffs for this year’s academic session are set to be declared.
With over 3 lacs registrations for 62,000 seats across 90 colleges in Delhi University alone, 18 year olds across the country experience a range of emotions as they wait for the cut offs to be announced.
With this in mind, beverage brand Pepsi® is urging college-goers to add a new word to the dictionary this admission season – SWAG. The brand will become a part of their lives with a single, empowering philosophy – CUT OFF IS TEMPORARY AND SWAG IS PERMANENT.
Pepsi has introduced a series of engaging new creatives across digital and on ground, which bring alive this philosophy and reinstate the brand’s proposition of ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’.
Talking about the activity, Tarun Bhagat, Director-Marketing, Hydration and Cola, PepsiCo India said, “Every year in India, the most important life event for an 18 year old is college admissions and students across the country are waiting with bated breath the cut-off announcement to see whether they will get the course and college of their choice. Intense competition only adds to the situation. As a brand¸ PEPSI® has always resonated with the voice of today’s generation and we understand that the ongoing admissions season is something that the youth are heavily invested in. At the same time, we want them to know that marks and admissions are only one part of life. If one follows their passion, and puts in their best towards something, they are bound to be successful. With the ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ campaign, PEPSI® will be a part of this important life event of the youth and will enable them to spread their wings by reiterating the empowering message that ‘Cut Off Is Temporary and Swag is Permanent.”
Bollywood’s favorite star of the new generation, Tiger Shroff, and superstar rapper Badshah have also joined the brand as it asks students to follow their passion and let their SWAG do the talking.
Sharing his memories, Tiger Shroff said, “It doesn’t matter what one chooses to do, as long as you give it your 100%. I dropped out of college because I wanted to follow my passion for martial arts and acting. I knew that it was the one thing I was ready to give my 100% to. It took years of hard work to get to where I am today, but it seemed easy all through the way because I was doing what I loved.
I only have one message for all those college aspirants who are eagerly waiting for the cutoffs to be announced – believe in yourself and your passion, carry yourself with swag and success will follow. Don’t let a number write off your dreams!”
Badshah said, “I was an all-rounder at school and loved studying through college as well. In fact, not many people know but I have worked as a civil engineer in the past. But throughout my life there was only one thing that gave me pure joy, and that was music. A lot of people questioned my choices when I wanted to pursue it as a career, but I knew that my passion combined with hard work would take me far. I’m glad I could prove that following your passion can take one places. It’s all about believing in yourself and carrying yourself with ‘swag’. To all the kids who await the cut offs, dream big, be your confident self, work hard and make your dreams come true.”
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.
