MAM
WPP’s Matrix forays into in-flight entertainment with Kingfisher Airlines
MUMBAI: The youngest agency of the WPP fold, Matrix has entered into the in-flight content arena supplying packaged content for the soon-to-soar Kingfisher Airlines.
Kingfisher Airlines launches commercial operations on 9 May and will be the first domestic airline to provide in-flight entertainment in a personalized manner. Currently, Deccan Airways is the only other domestic airline that provides entertainment and a TV set is shared between six seats. The Kingfisher aircraft will be equipped with an advanced in-flight entertainment system that offers a personal video screen at every seat with five TV channels and 10 audio channels.
Matrix has been instrumental in the trading and syndication of the in-flight entertainment programming from the conceputualisation to the execution stage.
The agency, in tandem, with the client, have decided to provide entertainment across five genres – Bollywood, Sports, Kids, Lifestyle and Fashion. The content for Bollywood will be sourced through SET, Hungama TV will provide for kids entertainment, Ten Sports on the sport front, Zoom on lifestyle and the fashion is still being worked upon. Speaking on the same, Matrix head LS Krishnan states, “The programming will be canned and packaged by us to ensure freshness, relevance as well as no fatigue. Considering it is a 90-minute flight, the effort will be to keep the content as light as possible.”
On the audio front, the ten channels will delve into all genres of music starting from hip hop, classical, retro, pop, jazz and many more.
Commenting on being a content provider to Kingfisher Airlines, UTV CEO Ronnie Screwalla says, “This is the first time that a domestic airline is providing in-flight entertainment. We have been providing our content to many airlines for the last 10 years and when we were approached by Dr Mallya, we decided to join hands with him as it would be a step further for us. Also, the fact that now air travel is moving away from the business fraternity and more and more families are also flying frequently, makes sense for us to tap them. The deal is based on the concept of advertising and revenue sharing.”
Matrix, apart from doing the packaging of the capsules, would also be looking at monetizing the free commercial time (FCT) by allowing for brands to advertise and create alliances with Kingfisher. The FCT has been frozen at 240 – 300 seconds per half hour.
Krishnan points out that the scope for up market brands to gain mileage with this proposition is very high. “Brands that cater to niche audiences will find this a very low cost and effective medium. Also, the association will not merely be restricted to spots on the audio and video channels but will also entail innovations for passengers to actually experience the brand via contests and interactive means.”
Sectors that Matrix will be approaching for this liaison will be insurance, automobile, lifestyle apparels, personal finance. This will give brands another means to touch the customer in a clutter-free environment going beyond break bumpers and tags on television.
Matrix is functioning on a fixed fee based structure for the services being rendered to Kingfisher. This is the first of such alliances in India. Krishnan believes that this is just the beginning of the take off of branded entertainment and in days to come, this phenomena will really pick up momentum, with advertisers looking at this avenue a lot more seriously.
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.
