Driven by its passion to take modern, convenient and accessible financial products and services to the rural and semi-urban sectors, Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited is pleased to announce the unveiling of its new Katugasthota Branch. Located at 214, Madawala Road, Katugasthota, Mahindra IDEAL Finance, Katugasthota is the 22^nd addition to the Company’s growing islandwide branch network. The new Katugasthota Branch was declared open amidst a special ceremony held in the presence of valued customers, staff, special guests and senior officials representing Mahindra IDEAL Finance’s senior management team. The new Branch will serve customers in Katugasthota and the surrounding areas, including parts of the Greater Kandy Area.

Discussing the Company’s network expansion plan and the new branch, Mr. Duminda Weerasekara – Chief Executive Officer at Mahindra IDEAL Finance said, “Guided by our overall business growth plan, our network expansion strategy has identified Katugasthota as a key nexus in the Central Province. It is where, in fact, both the A9 and A10 highways meet, while Katugasthota also serves as one of the three main entry points to the City of Kandy. As a result, it is ideally suited to serve customers in parts of the Greater Kandy Area, in the direction of both Kurunegala and Matale, areas that are hives of commercial, industrial and agricultural activity in the region, particularly for SMEs. It will also be an opportunity for us to provide and create value for the many wealthy businessmen, landowners and merchants in the area, with regard to investment and wealth creation opportunities. The exceptional and emerging talent pool in the area is also very attractive to us.”

Having been tipped as a Great Place to Work for 3 years consecutively, Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited is an employer of choice within the financial services space in Sri Lanka. Looking to grow and consolidate its human capital, the Company believes that its new Katugasthota Branch will enable it to attract new talent from the area, as it seeks to further expand its operations across Sri Lanka. The Company’s rapid network expansion drive was launched subsequent to Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited, India acquiring a controlling stake in IDEAL Finance Limited in 2021, soon after which Fitch Ratings upgraded the Company’s rating to AA – (lka) with a stable outlook, in recognition of the Company now being backed by a global financial services giant.

Caption: Senior Management of Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited with Branch staff and customers on the opening day of the Company’s Katugasthota branch

One of Sri Lanka’s fastest-growing licensed finance companies, Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited recently marked yet another milestone on its journey of being an employer of choice, as it was ranked amongst the 15 Best Workplaces for Millennials™ in Sri Lanka 2022, by Great Place to Work®. The achievement is significant as Mahindra IDEAL Finance has been working hard to position itself and deliver on being the employer of choice for young professionals looking to build careers in the financial services space. The accolade was presented to Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited at the Great Place to Work® in Sri Lanka awards ceremony, held on the 6^th of September 2022 at the Hilton Colombo.

Expressing pleasure at receiving the accolade, Mr Duminda Weerasekare, Chief Executive Officer at Mahindra IDEAL Finance said, “It is a privilege to be ranked among the 15 Best Workplaces for Millennials™ in Sri Lanka for 2022. We believe our sincere intention of caring for and moulding our young team, while moving forward despite external challenges, has been recognized. This also helps us to better present our proposition to young professionals considering a career in the financial services sector, as we are presently in the midst of a massive islandwide network expansion drive. If you are looking to make a name for yourself in this space, then Mahindra IDEAL Finance could be the ideal platform for you.”

From its inception, Mahindra IDEAL Finance has been committed to being a caring and trustworthy employer, understanding the fundamental truth that human capital is the most valuable capital of all. Particularly during the pandemic, the Company went to exceptional lengths to ensure the safety, security and health of its employees in all aspects, both physical and psychological, at work and at home. Mahindra IDEAL Finance has also striven to foster and drive a performance-based culture that provides a meritocratic mechanism for advancement to provide maximum potential for personal and professional development, in the shortest possible time. The Company values each of its team members individually and is keenly cognizant of their roles in making Mahindra IDEAL Finance one of Sri Lanka’s leading and fastest-growing licensed finance companies.

The ranking of the Great Place to Work® List of Best Workplaces for Millennials™ in Sri Lanka 2022 was undertaken in accordance with Great Place to Work®’s rigorous 2 lens model of the Trust Index© employee survey and the Culture Audit© people practice analysis framework and matched the global qualification criteria required to be a Great Workplace. The study was conducted by assessing 72,350 employees at an 85% response rate across more than 160 organizations in Sri Lanka from July 2021 to June 2022. Nearly 20,000 Millennials responded to the anonymous survey. The assessment for the list of Best Workplaces for Millennials also further considered organizations with 20% or more millennials, with 70% or more having a positive perception of their employer. Organizations that scored higher on collaboration, work-life balance, non-discrimination by age, meaningful work, making a difference, contributing to society and pride in the organization, attributes considered valuable by millennials, were also ranked higher in the list.

Having been tipped as one of the Best Workplaces ™ in Sri Lanka for 3 years consecutively, Mahindra IDEAL Finance Limited is an employer of choice within the financial services space in Sri Lanka. The Company’s rapid network expansion drive, which is creating many new opportunities for young and aspiring professionals, was launched subsequent to Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited, India acquiring a controlling stake in IDEAL Finance Limited in 2021, soon after which Fitch Ratings upgraded the Company’s rating to AA – (lka) with a stable outlook, in recognition of the Company now being backed by a global financial services giant.