MAM
Three Mumbaities emerge winners of Pepsi ‘Khufiya Card’ contest
MUMBAI: The summer of 2005 is a bonanza for Pepsi lovers in the country with Pepsi’s unprecedented ‘Khufiya Card’ consumer initiative. The initiative received unprecedented response from consumers across the country.
Michael John, Vani Rao and Subodh Bodke from Mumbai have just got richer by Rs 100,000 as part of the ‘Pepsi Khufiya Card’ promotion. According to the trio, who have always been Pepsi lovers and never thought drinking Pepsi could bring in such a huge reward.
Said John, “I can’t thank Pepsi enough for this pleasant surprise. Dekhte hi dekhte kismat badal gayee.”
The nationwide ‘Pepsi Khufiya Card’ promotion is valid on multi-serve packs (two litre and 1.5 litre) of Pepsi, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Lemon, Mountain Dew and 7UP. Every consumer who gets a ‘Khufiya Card’ on purchase of any of these products is assured of a prize.
The ‘Pepsi Khufiya Card’ initiative, for the first time makes TV advertising an ‘interactive medium’ in consumer promotion. It gives consumers an opportunity to discover their prizes by simply holding the Khufiya card against the blue TV screen during the airing of the Pepsi Khufiya ad. The consumer just needs to peel off the seal on his khufiya card, and hold the card against the blue ‘promo window’ in the TV ad, to reveal his prize.
The prizes are divided into four levels. While there the top prize is Rs 250 million, there are other prizes of Rs 100,000, Rs 1000 and Rs 100. In addition there are “Rs 40 off” deals on some cards, whereby consumers can redeem these cards to get a discount of Rs 40 on any purchases in participating groceries and restaurants.
According to Pepsi Foods Pvt Ltd executive director (marketing) Punita Lal, “Pepsi, in its inimitable way, adds a lot of fun and excitement to the summer months. The path breaking ‘Khufiya Card’ is a unique device that integrates the TV campaign with the promotion in a very innovative way, and directly engages the consumer in the promotion while watching the ad on his TV screen.”
The storyline of the ad, featuring Pepsi brand ambassador Saif Ali Khan, revolves around a bumbling detective’s failed attempts to crack the case of the mystery card. Conceptualised by JWT, the ad is directed by ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar.
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.
