Over the years, small and medium scale financing has been an integral component of NDB Bank’s portfolio. It is a proven tool for enabling up-and-coming entrepreneurs to gain financial stability while changing their lives positively. The Bank believes in making positive change in Sri Lankan lives, by providing entrepreneurs with knowledge, and capital to develop businesses and grow the local economy.

The Bank enhanced its position over the last two quarters as one of Sri Lanka's premier financial institutions serving SMEs, by extending its presence to the Northern and Eastern Provinces with the opening up of five new branches. With these branches, the Bank is focusing on serving SME sectors such as fisheries, manufacturing, hotels & tourism, agriculture, commercial transportation and trading, with a view to rebuilding the communities in post war Sri Lanka. In addition to its financing activities, the Bank has also conducted capacity building programmes in many areas of the country, on the subjects of book keeping, finance and account maintenance, management skills, project start-up and related activity as well as SME financing awareness to name a few.

Speaking of the Bank’s commitment towards developing the Northern and Eastern provinces in the country, Mr. Russell De Mel, Chief Executive Officer said “NDB Bank is committed towards providing the much needed financing for small scale entrepreneurs who are a vital component of our country’s economy. He further stated, “NDB believes in changing lifestyles everyday. To change a lifestyle, there must be a source of livelihood. After a 30 year long conflict, the North & East are now reawakening. As banks touch the lives of all business and communities, we have an obligation to be part of the development of both infrastructure and human capital”

With this view to empower the communities and build livelihoods, NDB Bank launched its latest SME banking scheme, ‘NDB Divi Aruna’ at a ceremony held in Jaffna recently. Commenting on NDB Divi Aruna, Mr. Raj Aboobucker, Vice President SME and Specialised Commercial Markets said that the Bank hopes the scheme will enable entrepreneurs take on the challenges of post war Sri Lanka. He stated that the scheme provides much needed capital with flexible repayment terms at an attractive pricing, with convenient accessibility. Targeting the fisheries community as the initial step, the Bank provided funding for a number of fishermen at the ceremony held in Jaffna. This funding will be used by them for the purchase of fibreglass boats and other fishing gear, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods.

NDB Bank hopes to carry out the ‘NDB Divi Aruna’ scheme throughout the country; targeting fisheries, agriculture, dairy and other small scale industries. The model used for this scheme will help develop social relationships within and across groups of borrowers and the bank, creating a change among the society at large. The scheme aims to provide funding that will develop the lives of the communities, empowering them to make the most of their entrepreneurial skills to take up new business ventures that will result in elevating their social standing while contributing towards regional development.

Today, NDB Bank is one of the fastest growing commercial banks in the country with NDB Group having regional operations in Maldives and Bangladesh. The Bank offers a wide range of commercial banking services through its growing island-wide branch network; which has now grown in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. In addition, as part of the NDB Group, its customers have access to a full range of banking and financial services, including Retail banking, Corporate banking, Project finance and SME lending though NDB Bank; Investment banking, Stock brokering and Wealth management through the Investment Banking Cluster, and Insurance solutions though AVIVA NDB Insurance, making NDB truly universal. The Bank’s AA (lka) rating by Fitch Ratings Lanka, is amongst the best in the industry and reflects NDB Bank’s strong financial profile in terms of its capital base, profitability and asset quality. Maintaining the highest standards of competence and probity, NDB Bank is firmly on track to achieve its cherished vision - to be a World Class Sri Lankan Bank.