MAM
WPP arms foray into content globally, healthcare in India
MUMBAI: Ad agencies are making forays into new areas in a bid to increase revenues. The leader WPP and its arms have taken the lead. Globally, JWT has already entered the content business and producing shows for television.
Closer home, WPP’s Sudler & Hennessey, one of the leading global healthcare communications firm, has launched its operations in India in lieu for the forthcoming WTO (World Trade Organisation) norms which will change the name of the marketing and communication game for India’s pharmaceutical companies.
Glossy men’s magazine Gear and ad agency J Walter Thompson are teaming up to produce pop culture TV programming.
The first project is a half-hour music series called Conversations which will be hosted by Gear editor in chief Bob Guccione Jr. Guccione founded Spin magazine in the ’80s and still has many contacts with musicians. There is no word yet on where the show will run.
The crossover from magazines to TV and film has become an increasingly popular trend. From CosmoGirl to Outdoor Life, magazines have been lending their names to TV programs to expand revenue streams and to expand brand awareness. Leading men’s magazine Maxim recently inked a deal to produce movies.
Meanwhile, WPP’s Sudler & Hennessey (S&H) has entered the Indian market through 50:50 tie-up with Rediffusion DY&R. The JV firm will offer communication services for the healthcare segment. Formed nearly 60 years ago, S&H has a presence in more than 17 countries with an annualised billings of over $900 million. The group boasts of several global clients such as Glaxo Smithkline, Pfizer, J&J, Novartis, Roche – all of which have a presence in India.
S&H will have two divisions – S&H Communications and Intramed. The first division will focus on OTC (over the counter) and prescription brands whereas Intramed will develop educational and awareness programmes. The various services on offer include brand positioning, medical education and communication, professional marketing and promotion, consultative assessment, consumer marketing and promotion, corporate brand identity, package design and market research.
The unorganised sector comprises of a major chunk of the Indian healthcare segment and the absence of inadequate laws (related to patents) add to the woes of the organised players. S&H will offer a viable alternative to companies who wish to communicate and educate the consumers. S&H has also developed models to enable pharma companies to work with doctors and directly with consumers.
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.
