Number 9 – National Development Bank

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Venerable members of the Clergy, Honorable Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, distinguished invitees, Mathi and BT Team, ladies and gentlemen!

I am indeed honored to accept this award as an acknowledgment of all the hard work we at NDB Bank had put in over the years. Though it is not NDB’s first foray into Business Today’s TOP 10, this year is of special significance, as we celebrate 40 years of service and have become the fourth largest private bank in the country.

We are pleased to note NDB’s steady rise in the ranks from number 27 in 2017 to number 18 in 2018 and now to number nine, which reflects the dedication and commitment the bank has towards the development of the nation. 

NDB started off as a development bank 40 years ago, and provided yeoman service in the development of this country as a project finance specialist. With the country moving to middle income category and drying up of funding lines, the bank has, since 2005, successfully transformed into a full service commercial bank and a financial services conglomerate carrying forward its development heritage; helping individuals, small and medium enterprises and corporates alike to realize their fullest potential. NDB Bank today has total assets of over 530 billion, Assets under Management (AuM) of over 100 billion in wealth management and its Investment banking arm, a leading capital markets player. The bank counts over 350 customer touch points through its branches, ATM’s, CRM’s and branchless banking. 

As we move into the new decade, we believe that digital convenience is the way forward. Digitalization of our customer touch points, such as; our NEOS App and phygital branches has made rapid progress and we have also made process improvements by systematically deploying robotics and workflow systems. This will improve efficiencies and the agility to lead the transformation that digitization will bring, not only in the banking industry but the country as a whole. The credit of this esteemed achievement should go to my leadership team for leading the transformation of the bank and the staff, for their unstinted loyalty and hard work; my Board of Directors, for their guidance, wisdom and strategic directions.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our esteemed customers, without whom this would not have been possible. I would also like to extend my warmest gratitude to our shareholders and other stakeholders. Thank you once again for this Prestigious Award.