News & market updates

Sri Lanka's ASPI fell 1.33% to 16,345.30 as turnover was Rs2.3bn, with banks weighing on the market. Major decliners included NDB, Seylan, HNB, Sampath and DFCC while Nations Trust, Colombo Dockyard and Ceylon Tobacco gained; net foreign outflow was Rs64m.

Dialog Axiata's subsidiary Digital Health launched Pharma Connect, a pharmacy management system with more than 20 modules to streamline inventory, prescription processing and customer engagement for pharmacies across Sri Lanka.

Dialog Axiata PLC has enabled two-way conversion allowing SriLankan Airlines’ FlySmiLes miles to be converted into Dialog Star Points, letting members redeem points for Dialog products, bill payments, devices and partner offers.

Sri Lanka Esports Association held its AGM and re-elected Raveen Wijayatilake as President. The meeting highlighted steps toward professionalising esports (athlete salaries, national colours), plans to participate in several international events, and noted Dialog Axiata as title sponsor.

Dialog Axiata PLC has partnered with EcoMatcher to launch Sri Lanka's first tech-driven tree-planting platform starting January 2025, enabling customers to pledge and track trees and carbon offsets. Businesses can create forests (min 1,000 trees) and individuals can plant from 5 trees, with API integration and impact reporting available.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will inaugurate the Sri Lanka Economic Summit at the Shangri-La Colombo today (28). Day 2 features a fireside chat with Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya on the digital economy; Dialog Axiata is listed as the telecommunications partner.

Colombo bourse hit record highs as ASPI rose 197 points (1%) to 17,025, led by banking stocks with Hatton National Bank up to Rs. 360.50 amid share-split rumours. Turnover was Rs. 9.78bn, banking and consumer stocks dominated activity and foreign investors were net sellers of Rs. 565.6m.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will hold the Sri Lanka Economic Summit on Jan 28–29 in Colombo, with a concluding session to outline a 'Plan for Economic Transformation' featuring senior finance and policy officials.

Colombo Stock Exchange rose with the ASPI up 1.31% (224.01 pts to 16,597.16) and S&P SL20 up 1.72% (85.42 pts to 5,047.45), driven by banking stocks and strong retail turnover. Top turnover generators included Commercial Bank, HNB, DFCC, NDB and Sampath Bank, with a net foreign outflow of Rs 279 million.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will inaugurate the Sri Lanka Economic Summit on 28–29 January at the Shangri‑La Colombo; Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya will lead a fireside chat on shaping Sri Lanka’s digital economy roadmap.

Colombo bourse ended the week higher (ASPI +2.1% for the week; ASPI +0.26 yesterday, S&P SL20 +0.28) with turnover yesterday at Rs.5.4bn and a net foreign outflow of Rs.221.5m. Banking and capital-goods/construction stocks led turnover, with top contributors including Dialog, DFCC, Dipped Products, Hemas and Commercial Bank.

A session at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit on 29 Jan will focus on 'Maximising Tourism Potential', targeting USD 8.5 billion in tourist earnings by 2030. Panelists include executives from Cinnamon Hotels and Aitken Spence, with Dialog Axiata among event partners.

Dialog Axiata PLC has become a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, reaffirming its commitment to gender equality and DEI. The company highlighted measures such as anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies, flexible hours, mentorship programmes, supplier inclusion and public reporting on progress.

Dialog Axiata's Dialog Television will exclusively broadcast the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards live on January 6, 2025 on HITS NOW (Channel 113) and via the ViU app (live 5:30 AM; repeat 4:30 PM).

Colombo bourse ended a four-week winning run as the ASPI fell 299 points to 16,049 (-1.83%) and the S&P SL20 dropped 2.24%; turnover was Rs.11.48bn and foreigners were net buyers of Rs.142m. Sampath, Commercial Bank, LOLC, Melstacorp and Hayleys were among the top negative contributors while JKH gained.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka will implement economic reforms to extend benefits to rural communities and pursue digital transformation alongside a ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative.

Union Bank of Colombo has implemented a cloud-based, multi-channel contact centre solution delivered by Dialog Enterprise (Dialog Axiata PLC) to upgrade its customer service, improve scalability, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Dr. Naresh Bana urges Sri Lanka to tap India's growth by boosting Indian tourism and expanding UPI digital payments; Dialog Axiata's fintech 'genie' conducted Sri Lanka's inaugural UPI transaction.

Dialog Enterprise (Dialog Axiata PLC) and Dell Technologies unveiled an AI-driven Video Surveillance and Analytics-as-a-Service (VSaaS) solution at the "Sight Beyond Sight" event in Colombo on Oct 30, 2024. A live proof-of-concept demonstrated real-time threat detection, workflow automation and improved operational efficiency for businesses.

ASPI rose 0.8% to 13,885, crossing a 30% year-to-date gain while turnover topped Rs.6 billion, led by John Keells, LOLC, Digital Mobility (PKME), Dialog (DIAL) and Sampath Bank (SAMP). The market closed positive for a 12th consecutive day with notable retail and HNW participation.

Dialog Axiata PLC has partnered with the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association to roll out its Dialog Star Points loyalty program and WOW SuperApp for retailers, aiming to boost customer engagement and integrate digital and in-store shopping experiences.

Huawei's South Asia Supplier Convention in Colombo on 29 Nov highlighted Dialog 5G and data‑centre projects and noted completion of the Dialog–Airtel network merger in 100 days.

Dialog Axiata (DIAL.N0000) was highlighted at Huawei's South Asia Supplier Convention for completing the Dialog–Airtel network merger in 100 days and for upcoming Dialog 5G and data centre projects with Huawei.

Dialog Axiata (DIAL.N0000) launched the IdeaBiz AI Assistant, billed as Sri Lanka's first AI-powered assistant for developers, providing 24/7 API support and onboarding. Powered by generative AI, it aims to streamline integrations and reduce human intervention.

Dialog Axiata PLC's WOW Superapp serves over 3 million users and has distributed over LKR 500 million in rewards. Launched in 2023, the app integrates payments, bookings, entertainment and the WOW Mall (3,500+ products) to expand Dialog's digital services.

The newly appointed ICTA Board, chaired by Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, held its inaugural meeting; members include Jiffry Zulfer (founder/CEO of Digital Mobility Solutions Lanka PLC) and executives with ties to Dialog Axiata PLC and Hemas Holdings.