MAM
The future of communications in the ever-evolving media world
NEW DELHI: With media channels multiplying and magnifying, communication agencies and departments will have a bigger role to play in the corporate structure of any organisation, a virtual panel, comprising of some of the leading communications and public relations personnel, discussing “communicating in the times of crisis and revival” with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, noted.
The participants included Communicate India founder and CEO Akshara Lalwani, Spag Asia managing partner and co-founder Aman Gupta, Genesis BCW India CEO Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Piramal Group VP and group head-corporate communications and PR Dimple Kapur, Golinopinion, Mullen Lowe Lintas Group executive director Kavita Lakhani, Amazon India director public relations Minari Shah, MSL India executive director strategy and insights Parveez Modak, Weber Shandwick managing director strategy and consulting Rohan Kanchan, and Flipkart associate director corporate affair Sheetal Singh.
The panel insisted that they all are ready and prepared to mould themselves with the rapidly changing and demanding media ecosphere and Covid, in fact, has accelerated the process for them on many ends.
Answering the question on how they will be finding a balance between the paid and the earned media, as the lines have started blurring between the two, the panel noted that messaging sits at the core of all these functionalities and the right communication is going to be their focus.
Modak noted, “For us, it will always be a combination of paid and earned media. I think both of these serve different purposes. Also, content for us is media-agnostic. It will always depend on what we want to achieve with that content.”
Shah supported him sharing some examples from Amazon diaries, including their own blog, which they had started almost 4 years ago. “Last Diwali, we ran a campaign called House on Wheels, which worked fabulously for us. We also did another organic campaign for Alexa on Valentine’s Day. I want to say that we have to own this space about creating authentic content and getting closer to all the stakeholders, be it our own employees or consumers or partners.”
She added that it is no longer about earned media and paid media and the agencies will have to work towards more holistic servicing and building strong narratives for brands.
Dharmaraj pointed out that PR is not only about press relations anymore and communication transcends over media today. They have learnt to be more agile and nimble to adapt to the changing client needs and their role in the client cycle.
“But I think the first part of creating that content using technology to create some compelling content. That’s exactly what we’re going to be doing more and more of it. Also, we need to start thinking beyond the English speaking mainline business,” she added.
Kapur shared that the agencies and internal communications departments will have to work hard and evolve the way they analyse the matrix right now. “Most agencies that send out coverage reports at the end of the month, in small clippings (filed); those will perhaps have to really reinvent themselves. What will really make sense is how we are creating an impact with those coverages. What does it really mean in terms of business income? And therefore you will work with many more agencies and much more support function will actually emerge for prompts”
For Lalwani, the three things that will become more valid and important in the coming days are going to be clarity, collaboration, and communication. She insisted that macro will have to be kept in focus and not micro as there as businesses will be pointless without people. ;
But with more brands and agencies building up in house support agencies, like social media teams, will the role of corporate communications remain valid?
Gupta mentioned that they are well-positioned and well prepared to fit into every scenario that comes up.
Singh shared, “The difference between marketing and communications is that the latter’s purpose is to build corporate reputation and that will always remain. Obviously, we do play a role in driving sales too, but the main part of our function is to build brand reputation.”
Lakhani corroborated, “At the end, mediums really don’t matter. We might take them into consideration but the customer doesn’t care. The messaging is what that matters and that’s what all the brand partners need to do; come together around a problem or an opportunity and be ready to serve the best solution. Evolutions will keep on happening.”
Kanchan noted that similar questions were being asked to the industry a few years back too, but they still remained relevant and modified them to the changing needs. “Learnings have already begun now as well. Models will keep evolving and we are really far ahead on the learning curve.”
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.
