Equitas Small Finance Bank recently announced a continued partnership with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) as their official banking partner for IPL 2026.
With this Equitas SFB is entering into 7th year of partnership with Chennai Super Kings and a consecutive 4th Year of alliance with Gujarat Titans, reinforcing the reflection of the shared spirit of champions, both on and off the field. Through this partnership, Equitas SFB aims to connect with millions of cricket fans across the country while showcasing its rewarding banking solutions and digital-first approach.
The campaign for this IPL season, ‘Bank Like a Champion’ aims to serve as the central theme for Equitas SFB’s engagement during the tournament, highlighting the bank’s rewarding banking solutions and its commitment to delivering meaningful financial experiences. The campaign draws inspiration from the champion teams, reinforcing Equitas’ focus on excellence, trust and long-term customer relationships.
For Equitas SFB, the partnership with Chennai Super Kings holds special significance as Chennai is the bank’s home market, where it continues to deepen customer relationships and strengthen brand trust. Meanwhile, Gujarat represents a high-value and financially aware market, where customers have a strong understanding of investments and high-yield financial instruments.
Through these partnerships, the bank aims to highlight its rewarding rates on Savings Accounts and Fixed Deposits offering up to 8% interest for Senior Citizens FD. The bank will also promote its Premium Family Banking solutions, designed for High Net Worth Individuals, offering tailored banking experiences, exclusive privileges and wealth-oriented benefits.
Additionally, the bank is spotlighting its Equitas Express service, an expert assisted home banking solution designed to deliver convenience, exclusivity, and premium banking that supports the financial aspirations of affluent families.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Vignesh Murali, Chief Marketing Officer and Business Head – Banker on Wheels, Equitas Small Finance Bank
Q. Financial illiteracy is an issue in the country. What should marketers in the BFSI sector do and not do to combat this in 2026?
Financial literacy remains a key priority and BFSI marketers must address it responsibly in 2026. The focus should be on simplifying financial communication and shifting from product-led messaging to education-led storytelling. Information should be clear, transparent and tailored to different customer segments, especially first-time users of formal banking.
Platforms like digital channels, community initiatives and IPL can help improve reach and relatability. However, marketers must avoid oversimplification, misleading messaging or emotional urgency. Financial literacy should be treated as an ongoing responsibility across all touchpoints, not a one-time campaign.
Q. Is the goal of marketing in 2026 of Equitas Small Finance Bank going to revolve around building trust?
Trust will always be at the heart of marketing for Equitas Small Finance Bank, especially in 2026, but it’s not the only thing we focus on. In financial services, trust is really the starting point for everything else — whether it’s awareness, engagement or long-term relationships.
Our approach is to keep communication simple, honest, and useful so customers feel confident about their decisions. Alongside trust, we’re also focused on growing awareness, improving digital adoption, and reaching more customers in high-potential markets. For us, it’s about building relationships that feel steady and long-term, not just transactional.
Q. How is AI helping the Bank tailor marketing strategies by going beyond the regular KYC?
AI is helping us move beyond traditional KYC to better understand customer needs and behaviour in a more meaningful way. It allows us to analyse patterns such as digital engagement, transaction behaviour and product preferences, which helps us design more relevant and timely communication.
This means marketing is becoming less generic and more contextual, with customers receiving information that actually fits their financial journey. At the same time, we are mindful of using AI responsibly, ensuring data privacy, transparency, and compliance remain central. The goal is to improve relevance without losing trust.
Q. How will the bank strengthen its customer-centric approach in 2026?
In 2026, our customer-centric approach will be driven by deeper understanding of customer behaviour and stronger use of insights to improve relevance across touchpoints. We are focused on making communication simpler and more personalised, while ensuring banking remains easy and accessible across digital and physical channels.
It’s also about being present at the right moments in the customer journey, ranging from everyday banking touchpoints or larger engagement platforms like IPL. Ultimately, it’s about building trust through better everyday experiences.
Q. For Equitas Small Finance Bank is the IPL partnership with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026 about reach or engagement?
For us, the IPL partnership with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans is not about choosing between reach or engagement but about both working together. IPL gives us scale and visibility across key markets, while also allowing us to engage with audiences in a more meaningful and contextual way.
The combination helps us build awareness and trust, while also driving deeper interaction with customers over time. The objective is to combine broad reach with deeper engagement, ensuring stronger brand recall and more meaningful customer connections over time.
Q. What activities will Equitas Small Finance Bank be doing during this period like the debit card?
During the IPL period, we will be rolling out a mix of digital and on-ground activities designed to enhance engagement and brand visibility. This includes targetted digital campaigns, influencer collaborations, and contextual content that connects with fans during live match moments, On ground activities, Match Screening et. However, the focus will remain more on overall brand positioning and not just on credit card.
Q. Will Equitas Small Finance Bank also be present online and on-air on JioStar during the IPL?
Our IPL strategy is centred on our partnerships with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, along with a strong mix of digital, outdoor, and on-ground activations.
We will definitely advertise online however no specific platform has been finalised yet. Our focus instead is on building engagement through team-led visibility, contextual campaigns, and customer initiatives that help us connect with audiences in a more organic and meaningful way.
Q. What does fan behaviour in the IPL reveal about India’s financial mindset?
Fan behaviour during IPL reflects how emotionally engaged and digitally active Indian audiences have become, and that extends into their financial mindset as well. We see higher curiosity, faster content consumption, and greater openness to exploring new brands and services during this period.
It doesn’t necessarily translate into impulse financial decisions, but it does create strong awareness and consideration. While decisions remain measured, IPL helps accelerate familiarity and trust, which are key drivers in shaping long-term financial behaviour.
Q. From cricket fans to banking customers: how is IPL the shaping financial behaviour?
IPL doesn’t directly turn fans into banking customers, but it does create the right environment for discovery. People are highly engaged, open, and attentive during the season, which makes it easier for financial brands to connect in a meaningful way.
For us, it helps build awareness and familiarity, especially when messaging is simple and relatable. Over time, this stronger recall and understanding can influence how people think about and engage with formal banking services.
Q. How does the IPL significantly influence viewers’ trust in brands and financial institutions?
Trust during IPL is shaped not just by brand messaging, but also by the credibility of the environment itself. When financial brands are present in a well-established, widely followed sporting property, it naturally adds a layer of legitimacy and recall.
However, trust is ultimately built through clarity and consistency in communication. IPL helps create the first layer of awareness and comfort, which then needs to be reinforced through simple, transparent, and useful messaging across customer touchpoints.
Q. How is the IPL changing consumer buying psychology and behaviour?
IPL reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour towards shorter attention cycles and higher responsiveness to content. People are constantly switching between entertainment, conversations, and digital interactions, which makes engagement more dynamic.
In this environment, brands need to be clear and relevant to stand out. For financial institutions, IPL helps capture attention in these high-intensity moments, improving recall and shaping early-stage consideration in the customer journey.
Q. Beyond the IPL what other marketing vehicles will Equitas Small Finance Bank leverage like Bollywood?
Outside of IPL, our marketing stays very multi-channel and rooted in where our customers actually are. We use digital platforms, influencers, outdoor media, radio, and on-ground community activations to stay connected throughout the year.
The focus is not on one big vehicle, but on building a consistent presence across touchpoints. Larger entertainment platforms can help with scale, but equally important for us are everyday engagement channels that help build familiarity and trust over time.
Q. How does the Beyond Banking’ initiative help with brand building?
The ‘Beyond Banking’ initiative strengthens our brand by embedding purpose into the core of our business model. It demonstrates that banking activity can directly contribute to financial inclusion and community upliftment through investments in education, healthcare, and livelihood programmes.
This reinforces our positioning as a responsible and inclusive financial institution. More importantly, it helps differentiate the brand by building trust and credibility through consistent, real-world impact rather than communication alone.
