SIB to honour Adoor and Yesudas

Thrissur-based South Indian Bank (SIB), a leading private bank of the country, will honour five top personalities, including renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and legendary playback singer K.J. Yesudas to mark its 80th anniversary celebrations to be held on January 29, SIB Managing Director and CEO V.A. Joseph told reporters in Coimbatore on Monday.

Others selected for the honour are Verghese Kurien, father of India's White Revolution, leading cardiologist Dr. K.M. Cherian and NRI entrepreneur M.A. Yusuff Ali. The awards consist of Rs. 1 lakh each, citation and memento. The award is in recognition of the excellence shown by them in their professions and services to the country.

For the first time in the 79 year history of SIB, the bank has recently achieved Rs. 144.50 crore in net profit in just three quarters of a fiscal. Net profit for the nine month period ended December 2008, reached Rs. 144.50 crore, recording a 35.32 per cent growth, as compared to Rs 106.78 crore a year ago. Net profit for the third quarter alone is Rs 54.20 crore.

Meanwhile, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is expected to participate in the 38th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam 2009, one of the larger film festivals in Europe, to be held from 21 January to 1 February in Rotterdam, Netherlands. K.J. Yesudas, who celebrated his 69th birthday on January 9, is currently busy with a cross-country musical campaign against terrorism, which began in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday with the motto "Music For Peace".