NDB Bank
Digital initiatives for retail customers usually attract the most attention when outsiders try to spot important innovations, and they may serve only a small proportion of a bank's client base. This year's award for best digital bank in Sri Lanka recognizes how important digital was for all clients during the pandemic and goes to NDB for its focus on technology for SMEs.
As one of Sri Lanka's leading banks, NDB reaches several different types of clients through many different touchpoints. The bank, led by chief executive Dimantha Seneviratne, wants to leverage that to become a digital one-stop shop for SMEs. To give one example, NDB launched NEOS Pay, a QR payment option, last year. The innovation allows for easy payments for even the smallest businesses, such as mobile food vendors, allowing them to connect with customers in safe and efficient ways.
Sri Lanka's SMEs have also benefitted from NDB's Bank2U service, which expanded in 2020. The service, which also helped vulnerable populations confined to their homes, quite literally brings banking services to a customer's doorstep.