Hatton National Bank PLC is a leading private (i.e., not government-owned) bank in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. It has overseas extension offices in Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

 and Karachi

Karachi

Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...

.

History

• 1888: R.D Banks and A.T Atkin established a small, private bank called Hatton Bank to cater to the needs of investors and laborers in Ceylon’s tea plantations.
• 1948: Sri Lanka attained its independence and Brown & Co., an engineering concern, bought the interests of the original investors.
• 1961: The Government of Sri Lanka forbade foreign banks to accept deposits from Ceylonese nationals.
• 1970: Hatton National Bank (HNB) was formed to take over Hatton Bank and the Kandy
  Kandy
  Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
  
   and Nuwara Eliya
  Nuwara Eliya
  Nuwara Eliya , meaning "city on the plain " or "city of light", is a town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka with a picturesque landscape and temperate climate. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m and is considered to be the most important location for Tea production in Sri Lanka...
  
   branches of Grindlays Bank
  Grindlays Bank
  The Grindlays Bank was a major British overseas bank established in 1828.It operated mainly in British colonies, especially British India. After decolonization, it was a major foreign bank in India, Pakistan and other West Asian countries. As ANZ Grindlays Bank, it was for a while the largest...
  
  . (Grindlays had inherited these branches from its merger with National Bank of India (NBI). NBI had established the branches in 1892. By giving up the two branches Grindlays earned the right to continue to operate its branch in Colombo
  Colombo
  Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
  
  , which NBI had established in 1881, serving corporate business.) A share issue shortly thereafter changed the ownership structure of Hatton National Bank. 35% of the company was in public ownership. After the share issue, Brown & Co and National & Grindlays owned 37% and 28% each respectively.
• 1974: HNB acquired Mercantile Bank of India’s branches in Pettah
  Pettah
  Pettah is an urban neighbourhood of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.-Location:Pettah is on the way to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and Shanghumugham Beach. Private and KSRTC buses connect Pettah to most parts of the city.The railway station at Pettah is...
  
   and Colombo as well as a part interest in Mercantile (a subsidiary of HSBC since 1959, which retained its branch in Colombo).
• 1989: HNB acquired Emirates Bank International's Colombo branch as well as their Sri Lankan Foreign Currency Banking Unit.
• 1996: HNB acquired Banque Indosuez’s Colombo branch.
• 2000: HNB opened a representative office in Karachi
  Karachi
  Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
  
  , Pakistan, and another in Chennai
  Chennai
  Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
  
  , India.
• 2002: HNB acquired the Sri Lankan branches of Habib Bank A.G. Zurich. It planned to use them as the base for Islamic banking
  Islamic banking
  Islamic banking is banking or banking activity that is consistent with the principles of Islamic law and its practical application through the development of Islamic economics. Sharia prohibits the fixed or floating payment or acceptance of specific interest or fees for loans of money...
  
  .

Awards
AWARDS / RECOGNITIONS BESTOWED ON THE BANK
2010

Best Presented Accounts and Corporate Governance Disclosure Awards 2009 by SAFA (South Asian Federation of Accountants)
- 1st Runner Up
http://www.esafa.org/

Institute of Chartered Accountants Sri Lanka ICASL awards 2010
- Overall Winner - (Gold Award) Best presented Annual Report 2009
- Best presented Annual Report in the Banking Sector - Gold Award
- Management Discussion and Analysis - Gold Awards
- Corporate Governance - Gold Award
www.icasrilanka.com
Ten Best Corporate Citizens Award 2010 presented by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
- 1st Runner Up — Best Corporate Citizen
- Top 20 Best Corporate Citizen
- Winner — Employee Relations Category
www.chamber.lk
Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for performance in 2009The Asian Banker Magazine
www.theasianbanker.com
Best Bank in Sri Lanka 2010 Euromoney Magazine

Gold Award Winner at the HRM 2010 Awards organized by Human Resources Professionals and Hewitt's Associates
Award for Excellence in Customer Service presented by MoneyGram International Inc.
www.moneygram.com

Winner (Large scale category)
ACCA Sri Lanka Sustainability Reporting Awards 2009
www.accaglobal.com

Business Today Top 10 (2010)
www.businesstoday.lk

Winner National Best Software Quality Awards 2009, organized by the British Computer Society (BCS)
www.bcs.org