Business
AIA Insurance building pathways for a digitally enabled bancassurance platform with Commercial Bank of Ceylon
AIA Sri Lanka, a part of AIA Group, World’s Largest Life Insurer (by market capitalisation) entered into a digitally robust bancassurance partnership with Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s largest private bank. This partnership combines AIA’s compelling propositions, its digital expertise and proven bancassurance expertise with Commercial Bank’s network of more than 268 branches across Sri Lanka and its valued customer base.
The relationship is intended to go beyond an ordinary bancassurance relationship and facilitate a digitally enabled bancassurance platform. It will offer Commercial Bank’s customers and employees a range of innovative products and an ecosystem of vital financial advice on their protection, long-term savings and retirement planning needs with the best of AIA’s experience and expertise in Asia.
As a pioneer in bancassurance, AIA will apply its in-branch sales expertise, leading point-of-sale technology and broad product range across Commercial Bank’s customer base. Commercial Bank of Ceylon is Sri Lanka’s largest private bank with a customer base that has significant potential to deepen life and health insurance penetration. This will further strengthen AIA’s competitive advantage in the industry.
Both AIA and Commercial Bank are longstanding partners of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Under the IFC-DFAT Women in Work program, Commercial Bank previously entered into an MOU offering exclusive insurance solutions for the Bank’s Anagi account holders to ensure financial security for women in Sri Lanka.
“We are truly excited to partner as a preferred insurer with Commercial Bank which is the largest private bank in Sri Lanka. Our bancassurance partnership with Commercial Bank brings together two trusted financial institutions with a long history of operating in Sri Lanka to build on the significant progress already achieved and increase the penetration of life and health insurance across Sri Lanka. It is also another timely forward step in our endeavour to provide the bank’s customers with opportunities that add greater protection and value to their lives through our range of need-based insurance solutions,” said Chathuri Munaweera, Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Director of AIA Insurance.
Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank said, “As Sri Lanka’s largest private bank, our customers come to rely on us to deliver world class products and services that offer value to them. By partnering with Sri Lanka’s best life insurer, we will be able to offer our customers access to high quality, tailored life insurance products and services that offer protection suited to their needs. We are pleased to tie up with AIA Insurance, a trusted company with a strong reputation and are confident that these services will strengthen the relationship with our customers.”
The new partnership arrangements will be implemented initially in Colombo and its suburbs and spread out to all Commercial Bank branches in gradual stages.
The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) proudly facilitated the first-ever Sri Lankan delegation’s participation at Drupa 2024, the world’s largest trade fair for the printing industry and technology. Held after an eight-year hiatus, Drupa 2024 was a landmark event, marking significant advancements and opportunities in the global printing industry.
AHK Sri Lanka played a pivotal role in organising and supporting the delegation, which comprised 17 members from the Sri Lanka Association for Printers (SLAP), representing eight companies from the commercial, newspaper, stationery printing, and packaging industries. This pioneering effort by AHK Sri Lanka not only showcased the diverse capabilities of Sri Lanka’s printing sector but also facilitated vital bilateral discussions with key stakeholders from the German printing industry.
Business
Unveiling Ayugiri: Browns Hotels & Resorts sets the stage for a new era in luxury Ayurveda Wellness
In a captivating reimagining of luxury wellness tourism, Browns Hotels & Resorts proudly unveiled the exquisite Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya. This momentous occasion, celebrated amidst a vibrant and serene grand opening on the 6th of June, heralds a new chapter in the Ayurveda wellness tourism landscape in Sri Lanka. Nestled amidst 54 acres of unspoiled natural splendour, Ayugiri features 22 exclusive suites and stands out as the only luxury Ayurveda wellness resort in the country offering plunge pools in every room, rendering it truly one-of-a-kind.
The grand opening of Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort was an enchanting event, where guests were captivated by the melodies of flutists and violinists resonating through Sigiriya’s lush landscapes. As traditional drummers and dancers infused the air with vibrant energy, Browns Hotels & Resorts’ CEO, Eksath Wijeratne, Kotaro Katsuki, Acting Ambassador for the Embassy of Japan and General Manager, Buwaneka Bandara, unveiled the resort’s new logo, marking a significant moment witnessed by distinguished guests from the French Embassy, Ayurveda and wellness enthusiasts along with officials from the Sigiriya area, LOLC Holdings and Browns Group.
“Our strategic expansion into wellness tourism with Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya symbolises a significant milestone for Browns Hotels & Resorts. Wellness tourism has consistently outperformed the overall tourism industry for over a decade, reflecting a growing global interest in travel that goes beyond leisure to offer rejuvenation and holistic well-being. By integrating the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with modern luxury, we aim to set a new standard in luxury wellness tourism in Sri Lanka. Whether your goal is prevention, healing, or a deeper connection to inner harmony, Ayugiri offers a sanctuary for holistic well-being” stated Eksath Wijeratne.
Ayugiri encapsulates the essence of life, inspired by the lotus flower held by the graceful queens of the infamous Sigiriya frescoes. Just as the lotus emerges from the murky depths, untainted and serene,
Ayugiri invites guests on a journey of purity and rejuvenation, harmonised with a balance of mind, body and spirit, the essence of nature, echoes of culture and the wisdom of ancient Ayurvedic healing.
HNB General Insurance, one of Sri Lanka’s leading general insurance providers, has been honored as the Best General Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka 2024 by the prestigious Global Banking and Finance Review – UK.
The esteemed accolade underscores HNB General Insurance’s unwavering commitment to excellence and its outstanding performance in the field of bancassurance. Through dedication and hard work, the HNB General Insurance team has continuously endeavored to deliver innovative insurance solutions, cultivate strong relationships with banking partners, and provide unparalleled service to customers nationwide. This recognition is a testament to the team’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence in the bancassurance business.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which reflects our team’s tireless efforts and dedication to delivering value-added insurance solutions and exceptional service through our bancassurance partnerships,” said Sithumina Jayasundara, CEO of HNB General Insurance. “This recognition reaffirms our position as a trusted insurance provider in Sri Lanka and motivates us to continue striving for excellence in serving our customers and communities.”
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