Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) crossed the Rs. 200 billion asset milestone for the financial year ended 31 March 2026, with total assets growing 37 percent to Rs. 214.7 billion and a record Rs. 4.5 billion profit after tax, the company said.

The non-bank lender’s loan book expanded 53 percent to Rs. 169.2 billion on the back of new disbursements exceeding Rs. 110 billion during the year. Gross income increased 18 percent to Rs. 30.2 billion, while profit before tax rose to Rs. 8.2 billion. Profit after tax was 12 percent higher than the previous year.

CDB’s net non-performing loan ratio improved sharply to 1.53 percent from 3.1 percent a year earlier, which the company attributed to tighter credit underwriting, automated credit decisioning and a more stable macroeconomic environment.

The Board declared a total dividend payout of Rs. 1.25 billion, a 16.67 percent increase on the prior year, comprising an interim dividend of Rs. 7.50 per share before subdivision and a final dividend of Rs. 1.00 per share on the subdivided capital. A one-for-ten share subdivision of both voting and non-voting shares was completed in April 2026 to broaden market accessibility and liquidity.

Chairman Alastair Corera said the results reflected “deliberate strategic execution, disciplined governance and years of investment in strengthening our capabilities”, and that the company was now positioned to enter its next strategic growth phase. Managing Director and CEO Mahesh Nanayakkara said CDB had grown from an institution with an asset base of less than Rs. 1 billion at the start of its transformation journey two decades ago to a Rs. 214 billion company today, with future growth focused on profitability and capital efficiency rather than scale alone.

The company is also pushing a wider AI rollout, describing FY26 as the year it transitioned from a technology-enabled to an AI-enabled organisation, with generative AI being embedded across employee tools and customer journeys and agentic AI being deployed to automate complex processes. CDB SELF platform users rose 93 percent year-on-year, and digital transactions now account for 74 percent of total customer transactions.

CDB’s green financing portfolio exceeded Rs. 31 billion at year-end, supporting renewable energy, electric mobility and climate-resilience lending, and the company reiterated a commitment to a 30 percent reduction in carbon intensity over the next five years. Community spending stood at Rs. 49 million for the year, channelled mainly through the company’s Smart Computer Labs programme and the Sisudiri Scholarship Programme. CDB previously rolled out Sri Lanka’s first Sound Box for QR-based digital payments in April.

Source: CDB surpasses Rs. 200 billion asset milestone, delivers record profit — Colombo Gazette, June 11