MAM
Premier Brands to sponsor Indian Badminton team
MUMBAI: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has roped in Premier Brands as a three-year sponsor for Rs 75 million. The BAI said that the amount that it secured from the contract, brokered by Total Sports Asia (TSA), would all accrue to the badminton players.
Former players will administer the sponsorship amounts. BAI president VK Verma says, “The entire receivables from the sponsorship would go directly to the players and BAI will not use any of it for its administrative costs. Also, we are presenting a model of financial governance that will set the highest standard of transparency in sports administration.”
Premier Brands chairman Suresh Kumar emphasised that the engagement with BAI is not just a sponsorship deal. “It is our way of giving back to the society for development of sports in India and contributing to a sport with tremendous Indian heritage, history and a sense of national pride in which India has consistently proven its worth at a world stage. We looked at different sports federations in India and came to a conclusion that BAI is one of the most professionally managed sports bodies. We will soon be announcing several other international sports and lifestyle alliances on the global scale.”
The BAI says that this deal is not only a landmark in the history of Indian badminton but also heralds a new beginning for the sport in the country. The renaissance of Indian badminton is led by Saina Nehwal, who is scripting history with her exceptional talent and grit. Other players like Chetan Anand, Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhat, V Diju and Jwala Gutta have also won laurels in some important tournaments across the world.
By becoming the official title sponsor of the National badminton team, Premier Brands gained the right to be featured prominently on the front of the team jerseys, to be named the presenting sponsor of the Yonex Sunrise Asian Badminton Championship to be held here from 12 – 18 April 2010 as a pre-cursor to the Commonwealth Games and the domestic circuit.
MAM
Axis Bank launches ‘Dil Se Open – ASLI KYC’ campaign
Bank shifts from compliance to genuine customer connection through five heartfelt films.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank has just taken KYC from paperwork to people-work because when bankers truly know their customers, even the forms start smiling. Axis Bank is setting a new benchmark in brand storytelling with its latest campaign, ‘Dil Se Open – ASLI KYC’. More than a marketing push, the initiative signals a cultural shift within the bank, empowering employees to move from reactive service to proactive engagement.
The campaign builds on the long-running ‘Dil Se Open’ philosophy, rooted in warmth, empathy, kindness, positivity and openness. Since 2018, these values have shaped Axis Bank’s approach to forging deeper customer relationships.
The new chapter infuses this foundation with greater proactiveness. Through five evocative films, KYC is elevated from a regulatory checklist into a storytelling platform that reveals the human side of banking. Each story shows bankers proactively uncovering unspoken dreams and aspirations, then matching them with suitable solutions.
The films cover diverse scenarios: a banker stepping into the world of a wildlife photographer to recommend appropriate insurance; learning Sanskrit to connect with an elderly customer under the Silver Linings programme; researching a restaurant’s surroundings to enable expansion via a collateral-free loan; studying Gen Z preferences to support a fashion designer’s international plans through Trade & Forex Services; and analysing a dentist’s needs to facilitate a new practice via a Medical Equipment Loan.
Axis Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chaudhry said, “ASLI KYC reflects our unwavering commitment to customer centricity and our vision for the future of banking.”
Axis Bank chief marketing officer Anoop Manohar added, “When bankers proactively take the effort to truly know their customers, the solutions naturally become more relevant and impactful.”
TBWA\Lintas, president for creative Kapil Batra noted, “Asli KYC is about moving from knowing customers on paper to truly understanding them, their lives, their needs and their intent.”
With this campaign, Axis Bank demonstrates how routine interactions can spark memorable stories where empathy, insight and authenticity drive both business growth and brand impact.
In the world of banking, where numbers usually rule, Axis Bank is proving that the most valuable deposits are the ones you make in people’s lives, one genuine conversation at a time.









