SDB bank Celebrates 25 Years of Service to Sri Lanka
SDB bank, one of the key players in Sri Lanka’s SME-banking landscape, has achieved the historic milestone of 25 years of service to Sri Lanka, while helping all Sri Lankans grow and adapt to a changing world. The Bank’s 25th Anniversary celebrations commenced with an official press conference, which was held in grand style at The Balmoral Ballroom at The Kingsbury, Colombo on the 17th of August 2022, where the keynote speakers, Chairperson of SDB bank, Dinithi Ratnayake and Acting CEO of SDB bank Niranjan Thangarajah addressed the gathering, recounting SDB bank’s historic 25-year journey, and outlining the future vision and outlook of the Bank.
Present and Future Outlook
On the occasion of its 25th anniversary SDB bank is pleased to reflect on its remarkable journey thus far. While the Bank remains fundamentally true to its founding principles to date, its ethos and purpose have grown and evolved over time. Today, SDB bank has emerged as a futuristic, value-based, tech savvy and contemporary bank with a key strategic focus on the areas of SME Development, Women’s Empowerment and Digital Inclusion. Thus, while the Bank remains grounded by its founding principles, SDB bank is now driven by its values, and a burning desire to empower all stakeholders, equitably.
The Bank’s rise as a leading facilitator of national economic development, and a trusted authority on small-scale entrepreneurial and personal finance growth, has garnered SDB bank a strong reputation for continuous digital banking expansion, and as a preferred employer, all of which have contributed towards the Bank receiving numerous accolades recently. These include a top 50 spot amongst Sri Lanka’s 100 Most Valuable Brands 2020, as ranked by Brand Finance.
Listed on the Main Board of the Colombo Stock Exchange, with a Fitch Rating of BB + (Stable), and a growing islandwide network, presently totalling 94 branches, SDB bank’s ascendancy as a leading national bank can be attributed to its differentiated retail, business, and development banking models; multi-segment customer base across rural, SME and urban groups; digitalization of banking infrastructure; and a differentiated employee value proposition.
These factors have led to the collective interest of the global investor community, allowing for strong, long-term investor partnerships with top local and international finance organizations and investors, including the Nederlandse Financierings Maatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V (FMO), Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO), International Finance Corporation (IFC). Active support of this nature from top-tier organizations has helped to strengthen SDB bank’s standing among facilitators of SME development in Sri Lanka; a critical sector accounting for upwards of 50% of the country’s total GDP.