MAM
ITC YiPPee! Rolls Out Food Carts to Empower Uttarakhand Women
ITC’s YiPPee! gets the wheels turning for Uttarakhand’s newest micro-entrepreneurs.
MUMBAI: Forget the old adage about putting the cart before the horse, in the hills of Uttarakhand, the cart is the driving force. In a move that proves there’s more to instant noodles than just a quick snack, Sunfeast YiPPee! has cooked up a fresh initiative to turn homemakers into breadwinners. Under the banner of its ‘Better World Program’, the brand has rolled out a fleet of food carts to aspiring businesswomen, proving that the best route to empowerment is often a street-side view.
This January 2026, the programme set up shop in Uttarakhand, where it identified ten women ready to swap uncertainty for entrepreneurship. But this wasn’t a case of simply handing over the keys and hoping for the best. In partnership with the NGO Prayatna, the initiative treated the selection process with the rigour of a Masterchef audition. Candidates were screened for motivation and grit, ensuring that the beneficiaries weren’t just looking for a job, but were ready to run the show.
Once selected, the cohort underwent a bespoke training regime that would put many culinary schools to shame. The curriculum covered everything from financial management and customer handling to the nitty-gritty of food safety. By the time they hit the streets, these women were armed with FoSTaC Basic Catering Course and NSDC dual certifications, courtesy of the Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI). To top it off, they were guided through the FSSAI registration maze, ensuring their businesses are as compliant as they are capable.
The result? A brigade of fully equipped, branded food carts hitting the streets, accessories included.
Snacks & Noodles unit at ITC Ltd. chief executive Ali Harris Shere noted that true dignity stems from economic independence. “We are focused on enabling women to achieve economic independence by equipping them with the capabilities, confidence, and resources needed to build resilient micro-enterprises,” he remarked, highlighting that the expansion into Uttarakhand is about cementing inclusive growth.
The local government has certainly developed an appetite for the scheme. Uttarakhand State Commission for Women president Kusum Kandwal praised the corporate-NGO tag team, noting that such efforts “complement government initiatives and strengthen our shared mission.”
This isn’t ITC’s first rodeo or rather, first roll-out. Over the past two years, the programme has been a lifeline for migrant women in Delhi NCR, helping them navigate out of vulnerable conditions and into self-reliance. It is a slice of a much larger pie; ITC’s multi-dimensional social investments have now touched the lives of over 6 million women across India, spanning education, employability, and enterprise.
For these ten women in Uttarakhand, the future is looking distinctly brighter. They finally have the ingredients for success, and for once, it’s not just about what’s on the menu, it’s about who owns the kitchen.
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.
