The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) recently honoured the Commercial Bank of Ceylon with six prestigious awards, two in respect of Sri Lanka and four for the Bank’s Bangladesh operation, joining the many international bodies that have recognised the country’s leading private sector bank with accolades this year.

The ICC recognised Commercial Bank as the ‘Best Bank in Sri Lanka’ and for ‘Best Performance on Risk Management’ among Sri Lankan banks, and presented Commercial Bank Bangladesh the awards for ‘Best Performance on Asset Quality,’ ‘Best Performance on Growth,’ ‘Best Performance on Risk Management’ and ‘Best Performance on Profitability.’

These awards were presented at the ICC’s Emerging Asia Banking Conclave and Awards in Goa, India in July, to recognise and reward banks in the seven countries that belong to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) for extraordinary steps in the growth and spread of emerging Asian banking. The awards were presented on the basis of applications assessed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). Commercial Bank was the only Sri Lankan Bank to be honored at the awards ceremony.

Commenting on the recognition accorded to Commercial Bank by the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the Bank’s Chief Operating Officer S. Prabagar said: “The challenges faced by banks in the BIMSTEC countries as well as the expectations of customers and regulators, are fairly similar. Being assessed by a panel of eminent banking industry personalities from the region is therefore of particular value, and we are extremely pleased to win the award for Best Bank in Sri Lanka as well as five Best Performance awards for our operations in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”

Focusing on the stellar role played by banks in promoting economic growth and using monetary policy as an engine of growth during the times of the pandemic and the post-pandemic war in Europe, the awards considered the best practices and innovative steps taken by banks to overcome the myriad challenges they faced in their operations. Innovation in payment systems, digital asset management, anti-money laundering, big data analytics, cyber compliance and regulatory compliance, empathy, financial health and guidance of their clientele were among the aspects assessed for the awards.

The awards jury comprised of stalwarts from the banking industry, and some of the quantitative factors considered for the awards presented to Commercial Bank included key financial indicators such as Total assets, Gross and net advances, Deposits, Total investments, Total interest earned, Profits, Operating expenses, Gross non-performing assets, Yield on investments, Liquidity coverage ratio and Capital adequacy ratio. Other aspects such as advances made towards renewable energy projects, energy efficiency improvement projects, pollution control projects, water conservation and treatment projects, waste management projects and forest regeneration projects, and CSR expenditure were also assessed.

Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Kolkata, the Indian Chamber of Commerce is one of the most proactive and forward-looking Chambers in India today. Its membership spans some of the most prominent and major industrial groups in India. Set up by a group of pioneering industrialists led by Mr G. D. Birla, the Indian Chamber of Commerce was closely associated with the Indian freedom movement, as the first organised voice of indigenous Indian industry.

Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank, the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World and the only Sri Lankan bank to be so listed for 12 years consecutively, Commercial Bank operates a network of 271 branches and 957 automated machines in Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank is the largest lender to Sri Lanka’s SME sector and is a leader in digital innovation in the country’s Banking sector. The Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 20 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Microfinance company in Nay Pyi Taw; and the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake.