NDB named Principal Sponsor of Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2013

NDB is the Principal Sponsor of the prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) scheduled to be held on 17 February 2013.

Enterprise Asia, a Non-Governmental Organisation for entrepreneurship based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the owner and organiser of the APEA.

Enterprise Asia, in association with Sri Lanka Malaysia Business Council (SLMBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce initiated the event in Sri Lanka with the patronage of NDB as a Principal Sponsor in 2012.

NDB’s involvement in the event for the second consecutive year establishes the bank’s commitment towards recognising Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and business leaders while fostering an entrepreneurial culture in the country.

As a pioneer in project lending and SME financing in Sri Lanka, NDB has contributed immensely to stimulate the growth of these sectors. Over the past three decades the bank has financially supported close to 90,000 SMEs island-wide, creating over 900,000 employment opportunities.

NDB also provides the much-needed advisory services both to entrepreneurs as well as lending institutions. Through its islandwide SME workshops, the bank provides entrepreneurs with guidance to access markets, knowledge on the use of appropriate technology and even branding expertise to help them effectively market their products.

In line with the bank’s continued commitment towards instilling an entrepreneurial culture, NDB pioneered the ‘Endowed Professor/Senior Fellow in Entrepreneurship’ at the University of Moratuwa in 2010. The initiative which seeks to bridge the gap between academia and industry, has been contributing towards building a nation of ‘job creators’ instead of ‘job seekers’.

With a combination of customised products and services both for the corporate and SME sector, NDB is continuously strengthening its commitment towards entrepreneur development with the goal of making a positive change in the Sri Lankan entrepreneurs by providing them with knowledge and capital required to develop their businesses; thereby contributing to the growth of the country’s economy.

Commenting on the sponsorship, NDB Chief Operating Officer Indrajit Wickramasinghe said: “It is a great honour for NDB to be a part of the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards for the 2nd consecutive year. NDB places special emphasis on fostering Entrepreneurship with a strong belief that developing this segment will lead to the exponential growth that the nation is aspiring for. Therefore as a bank that has been a fore runner in entrepreneur development, NDB was instrumental in introducing the APEA to Sri Lanka last year. The awards create a unique opportunity for Sri Lankan business leaders to be recognised on an international platform. It also sponsors important linkages that provide local businesses with the vital international access, thus enhancing the competitive position of our local entrepreneurs, especially exporters.”

“In the current business dynamics, geographic barriers keep colliding at a rapid pace making the world one big marketplace of seamless opportunity. With initiatives such as the APEA we aim to inspire our local business leaders to establish their businesses within this global marketplace by enhancing their business propositions and operations to meet global standards. This is part of NDB’s contribution towards nation building,” Wickramasinghe reiterated.

Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards is a regional recognition program for outstanding entrepreneurs across Asia and is currently held in 14 ASEAN nations including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Macau, Cambodia and India. As Asia Pacific’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs, it is a regional benchmark for entrepreneurial excellence.

APEA Sri Lanka scheduled to be held this week attracted over 75 nominations, out of which 45 were shortlisted in order to select the 28 final winners. These 28 enterprising men women, who have proven their entrepreneurial spirit, whilst paying due consideration to the social responsibility associated with business leadership, will be recognised and honoured at the grand event scheduled to be held on 17 February at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel.