MAM
“We always keep bouncing off ideas and exploring possibilities of innovation and creativity”: Social Panga’s Himanshu Arora
Mumbai: Recently, Social Panga joined LS Digital (erstwhile Logicserve Digital) to form India’s biggest independent group for the global market. This move enables the group to further strengthen its solution-driven digital marketing transformation offerings, unlocking value for marketers looking for creativity and operational efficiencies in their growth path.
The integrated creative agency became part of LS Digital’s six-pillar framework, which comprises media, UI/UX, creative & communication, CX (MarTech), data & insights, and tech innovations. It marks a significant step towards realising the goal of creating an end-to-end suite of services in India for the world.
Social Panga has a presence in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi, with over 150 clientele and a team of over 350 ‘marketing mafias’ providing a solution-driven approach. It also has an in-house video production wing ‘The Yellow Shutter’ that has shot over 100 advertising films and onboarded over 65 brands in the last 12 months.
Indiantelevision.com in an email chat with Social Panga co-founder Himanshu Arora conversed on the decision behind the merger, Social Panga’s long-term vision, and more…
Edited Excerpts:
On the driving force behind the decision to merge Social Panga with LS Digital and this merger benefiting both entities
This independent group empowers us to be more than just a marketing agency; we are now a holistic solution provider in the dynamic landscape of marketing transformations. Our expertise now extends across diverse domains such as media, UI/UX, creative, data and insights, CX, Tech and Innovations.
What makes this even more special is its global perspective. While our roots are firmly grounded in India, this marks the beginning of our journey from India to the world. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our partners for their trust and support. Together, we are embarking on a ‘Made in India for the World’ revolution, and it’s all happening in the realm of digital and advertising.
On collaborative projects or initiatives that can be expected to emerge as a result of this merger
We firmly believe that specialisation is the key to providing you with unmatched services. With this partnership, we can now venture into more specialised areas such as AI, CX, UI/UX, and Media planning. These are the very elements that are shaping the future of marketing, and we are excited to bring them to a large pool of customers.
You can expect to see a range of collaborative projects, innovations in new-age technology and initiatives that leverage the strengths of all entities in the near future.
On the consistency of Social Panga’s long-term vision, and its evolution to align with LS Digital’s overarching goals following the merger
The long-term aim and vision of Social Panga remain consistent. We continue to be a culture-driven, people-focused agency, the way we have been in the last nine years. Our thought process continues to remain the same – to work towards something which is big enough and has not been done by anyone in the industry yet.
We will adapt focusing on scalability, efficiency, and integration into a larger global network. We will be prioritising strategies that leverage LS Digital’s resources and expertise to provide clients with more comprehensive and competitive digital marketing services.
On maintaining and integrating Social Panga’s core values and culture within LS Digital and harnessing the specialised ‘marketing mafias’ team for driving innovation and excellence across the newly formed group
We are all a part of a group. Along with Social Panga, there is Langoor Digital and F1 Studioz which have been present for some time. With this now there are four agencies bringing in different expertise aimed at global growth.
Our “mafia’s” will continue to work in the same manner with a single goal & objective.
It’s important to note that while this partnership opens new doors, our core values and working style remain unwavering & nothing changes, other than it opens up more opportunities. What changes is our ability to serve clients with even greater expertise, an expanded skill set, and a more empowered team.
On maximising knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas to drive continuous improvement with both companies joining forces
We are all a passionate bunch of entrepreneurs who are coming together. So invariably, knowledge sharing is going to be the way of working for us. We always keep bouncing off ideas and exploring possibilities of innovation and creativity. In fact, we already initiated cross-competency training across organisations.
We will now involve the team in this too and build structures or models which involve them. The team will get access to more information and knowledge across UI, UX tech, digital, global exposure etc. This will be a catalyst for an overall creative thinking rather than restricting to one single area.
On maintaining a balance between serving the local market’s needs and catering to international clients as LS Digital expands its global reach through this merger
Local markets are our cake right now and global clients are cherry. You may want to have cherry but the cake is the base for any birthday party. Similarly, we have got our cake covered anything from the global market is just a cherry on the top.
As pioneers in what may be a groundbreaking collaboration within the Indian advertising industry, we acknowledge that there may not be a well-defined roadmap. We anticipate encountering fresh challenges and obstacles, which will necessitate the creation of novel solutions and approaches.
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.
