Reaffirming its unmatched leadership and excellence in Sri Lanka’s banking sector, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been named Best Bank in Sri Lanka for the 15th consecutive year at the FinanceAsia Awards 2026, while also winning six other prestigious accolades across key areas of banking, the most by Sri Lankan bank.
In addition to being named the country’s Best Bank, Commercial Bank was also honoured as Best Bank for SMEs, Best Bank for Use of Technology, Best Islamic Finance House, Best Sustainable Bank, Best Private Bank and Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka. Collectively, these accolades underscore the Bank’s leadership across key areas of the financial services spectrum.
Widely regarded as one of the most respected benchmarks in the Asia-Pacific financial services industry, the FinanceAsia Awards recognise institutions that demonstrate excellence in performance, innovation, leadership, customer service and resilience. The 2026 edition marks the 30th edition of these flagship awards, which evaluate banks on financial strength, strategic growth, digital transformation, sustainability initiatives and overall contribution to their respective economies.
“Recognition at globally respected award programmes such as the FinanceAsia Awards further strengthens our standing among leading regional and international peers, while affirming our performance in financial strength, innovation, customer service and sustainability,” said Mr Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank. “This success also enhances stakeholder confidence and reinforces customer trust in the Bank’s ability to deliver consistent value across multiple areas of banking.”
The awards were accepted on behalf of Commercial Bank by Mr Chinthaka Dharmasena, Assistant General Manager – Services, and Mr Krishan Gamage, Deputy General Manager – Information Technology (Operations), at the gala ceremony held on 24th June 2026 in Hong Kong.
Explaining the basis for its selections, FinanceAsia noted that the 2026 awards celebrate institutions that demonstrated determination to deliver desirable outcomes during 2025 through strong commercial and technical acumen, despite operating in complex and evolving market conditions.
The first Sri Lankan bank with a market capitalisation exceeding US$ 1 Bn., and the first bank in the country to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World, Commercial Bank has the highest capital base among all Sri Lankan banks, is the largest private sector lender in Sri Lanka, and the largest lender to the country’s SME sector. Ranked No. 1 in the Business Today Top 40, the Bank is recognised as the most respected and most-awarded bank in Sri Lanka, is a leader in digital innovation and is the country’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.
Commercial Bank operates more than 270 strategically-located branches and an extensive network of automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 21 branches in Bangladesh, a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives, a microfinance company in Myanmar, and a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Bank’s fully-owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance PLC. and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, also deliver a range of financial services via their own branch networks.
Photo caption:
Mr Krishan Gamage, Deputy General Manager – Information Technology (Operations) and Mr Chinthaka Dharmasena, Assistant General Manager – Services at Commercial Bank accept the FinanceAsia awards on behalf of the Bank.
