Saturday Aug 16, 2025
Saturday Aug 16, 2025
Thursday, 14 August 2025 00:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
SDB bank Senior Manager Sustainable Banking Nilupama Madurawela (third from right) receives the award. Others from left are: Ceylinco General Insurance Managing Director Patrick Alwis, SDB bank Chief Business Officer Chitral De Silva, BOI Director General Renuka Weerakoon, Uzbekistan Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev, and NBEA 2025 Technical Panel Member Shyamalie Amaratunga
SDB bank has announced its recognition as the recipient of the Banking Sector Merit Award at the prestigious National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA) 2025.
Organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, the event was held recently at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, marking the 20th consecutive edition of this landmark national awards program.
Receiving this recognition affirms SDB bank’s position as a purpose-driven financial institution that integrates Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sound governance, and measurable social impact into its operational philosophy. The award acknowledges not only the bank’s financial performance but also its contributions to national progress through responsible, community-centred banking.
The NBEA is widely regarded as Sri Lanka’s foremost platform for corporate excellence, celebrating organisations that demonstrate exemplary performance across governance, sustainability, innovation, and social value creation. This year’s evaluation was conducted through a rigorous multi-phase process that included assessments by a Technical and Financial Committee led by Ernst & Young, followed by interviews with a distinguished panel co-chaired by Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri and Lasantha Salgado.
SDB bank Executive Director and CEO Kapila Ariyaratne said: “Winning the Banking Sector Merit Award in 2025 at NBEA is both an honour and a validation of our core purpose that banking should create meaningful value financially, socially, and environmentally for all our communities. Furthermore, this is a testament to our ethical, sustainability-driven approach within the banking sector, and reinforces the bank’s visibility among business leaders, policymakers, and international stakeholders and also enhances long-term trust across our valued customer base.”
SDB bank said as it continues to embed social cohesion and sustainability across its operations, this accolade stands as motivation to push further, innovate deeper, and remain a positive force in Sri Lanka’s economic and social transformation.
