News & market updates

Dialog Axiata (DIAL.N0000) and Sri Lanka Telecom/SLT‑Mobitel (SLTL.N0000) are carrying out 24/7 recovery work after Cyclone Ditwah damaged backbone fibre and caused widespread outages; operators extended free mobile connectivity until 2 Dec and are prioritising backbone repairs with partners including Huawei.

Dialog Axiata (DIAL.N0000) and Sri Lanka Telecom (SLTL.N0000) are conducting round-the-clock repairs to backbone fibre and power installations after Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread network outages. Operators extended free mobile connectivity until Dec 2 and partners including Huawei have mobilised engineers to support recovery.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed 0.22% higher after trading ceased early at 12:30pm due to cyclone Ditwah; the ASPI rose 50.73 pts to 22,712.82 with turnover Rs 1.93bn. Top contributors included John Keells, Ceylinco, Aitken Spence, Dialog Axiata and Sampath Bank.

Dialog Axiata PLC's Dialog Enterprise served as Principal Sponsor of the Sri Lanka CERT|CC Cyber Security Conference 2025, supporting national cybersecurity awareness and resilience.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will attend the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2025 on Dec 2 for a fireside chat on the government's economic rebuilding plans. The two-day summit (Dec 2-3) has drawn over 850 participants and includes sponsors/partners such as Sunshine Holdings, Dialog and Hayleys.

The Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2025 (Dec 2–3) is sold out with over 850 participants, including 100+ international delegates. Session and partnership sponsors include Sunshine Holdings, Dialog Axiata and Hayleys (Hayleys Advantis); sessions cover trade, investment, renewable energy, tourism, finance and technology.

Cenmetrix marks 20 years, saying it has completed over 10,000 deployments and its digital identity and access systems now power organisations including Dialog Axiata. The company is expanding internationally and embedding AI, analytics and automation into its platforms.

Dialog Axiata PLC launched the Dialog ViU+ Smart TV App, a device-free Smart TV solution offering 105 live TV channels for a single subscription pack at Rs. 800+ tax and access to over 50,000 hours of VOD (additional charges apply).

Dialog Axiata PLC renewed its strategic partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to scale development projects in Sri Lanka, with a focus on digital transformation and renewable energy.

Colombo bourse closed marginally down as the ASPI fell 0.09% (21.80 pts) to 23,029.86 on turnover of over Rs. 3.8bn and net foreign outflow of Rs. 4.7m. Major negative contributors included Commercial Bank, Dialog, Colombo Dockyard, DFCC and NDB, while J.F. Packaging rose on debut.

The ASPI fell 0.74% (172.02 pts) to 23,051.66 and the S&P SL20 dropped 0.52% to 6,376.54 as profit-taking pulled the market lower. Turnover exceeded Rs.4.4bn with foreign net outflow of Rs.100.6m; SFCL, HNB, RICH, DFCC and DIAL were the key negative contributors and capital goods, banking and food/beverage/tobacco led activity.

Dialog Axiata sponsored Sri Lanka’s school Esports team at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025 in Bahrain; Sayuni Sadushika became the country’s first female school Esports athlete to win an international match (defeating Mongolia).

Dialog Axiata PLC renewed its strategic partnership with JICA to expand development projects in digital transformation, financial inclusion, education, agriculture and renewable energy, targeting vulnerable communities and women's empowerment.

HNB General Insurance grew 21% in the nine months to 30 Sep 2025, recording GWP of LKR 8.18bn and raising market share from 6.8% to 7.2%. Total assets grew to LKR 11.15bn, FUM to LKR 6.9bn, fire & engineering GWP rose 33%, and a parallel SLFRS 17 run is underway for 2026 adoption.

Dialog Axiata reported a 26.7% rise in profit to 5.69 billion rupees in the September 2025 quarter. Profit per share was 0.62 rupees; the group also recorded a forex loss of 394 billion rupees and higher net finance costs despite higher revenue and lower direct costs.

Dialog Axiata PLC (DIAL.N0000) reported YTD revenue of Rs.133.1b (+6%) and YTD EBITDA of Rs.62.9b (+40%), with NPAT of Rs.14.9b (more than doubled). EBITDA margin rose to 47.3% and operating free cash flow improved 92% to Rs.37.1b; the company expanded 5G trials to 15 districts and completed Airtel integration.

Dialog Axiata reported 9M2025 Group revenue of Rs133.1Bn (+6% YTD), EBITDA Rs62.9Bn (+40% YTD) and NPAT Rs14.9Bn (over 100% YTD); the Company contributed Rs100.1Bn revenue and Rs11.3Bn NPAT. The Group paid Rs41.9Bn to the GoSL and expanded 5G trials to 15 districts.

Colombo market closed lower — ASPI fell 0.84% (198.24 pts) to 23,461.46 and the S&P SL20 dropped 1.52% to 6,458.15. Banking dominated turnover (39%) and major laggards included SAMP, HNB, JKH, NDB and BUKI while foreign investors were net sellers of about Rs. 788.7 million.

Dialog Axiata PLC unveiled Sri Lanka’s first 5G-enabled autonomous water-surface cleaning robot, able to clean 50–100 acres per mission and collect up to 50 kg of waste per run. The MEPA-partnered system uses 5G, AI and remote HD streaming for real-time monitoring and control.

CSE extended its post-Budget rally as the ASPI rose 0.34% to 23,582.16 with turnover topping Rs.8.2bn; RICH, DIAL, DFCC, AEL and HNB were key positive contributors. Foreign investors were net buyers (Rs.26mn) and capital goods led activity (28% of turnover) while banking and F&B accounted for 35%.

Sri Lanka's ASPI rose 0.34% to 23,582.16, led by bluechips and banking shares; top contributors included DIAL.N0000, DFCC.N0000, AEL.N0000, HNB.N0000, SIRA.N0000 and JKH.N0000, with John Keells reporting a Sept quarter net profit up 21% to LKR 1.65bn.

The ASPI closed at 23,502.59, up 0.70% (164.34 pts), crossing 23,500 for the first time on positive sentiment after the 2026 Budget. Banking names HNB, SAMP, COMB, NDB and DIAL led gains as Budget measures proposed concessional SME loan schemes and credit guarantees expected to boost loan demand.

Dialog Axiata (Dialog Enterprise) was the Title Sponsor of Industry Expo 2025, which drew around 100,000 visitors. The company showcased 5G, AI, analytics, AR/VR and other digital solutions aimed at empowering SMEs.

Colombo market opened higher as the ASPI rose 0.54% (+123.47 pts) to 22,928.31 with turnover over Rs.5.7bn and foreign net outflow of Rs.645.4m. Aitken Spence and Sierra Cables led capital-goods turnover; PKME, JKH, COMB, SFCL and BUKI were key positives while SPEN eased and SIRA was flat.

Sampath Bank is the principal partner for S. Thomas’ College’s All-Island Schools National Startup Innovation Event during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025; the Top 25 shortlisted school entries will showcase projects on 2 Nov.

The Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2025 will be held 2–3 December in Colombo with international speakers and sponsors/partners including Sunshine Holdings, Dialog Axiata and Hayleys, focusing on reform, investment-led growth and topics such as clean energy, logistics and tourism.

The Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2025 gathered 500+ retail leaders in Colombo to highlight AI’s role in transforming retail operations and customer experience. Major sponsors and participants included John Keells, Singer and Dialog, with sessions on AI, data and retail leadership.

The Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2025 will be held Dec 2–3 at the Shangri‑La Colombo, featuring international speakers on reform, investment, green logistics and climate finance. Event sponsors/partners include Sunshine Holdings, Hayleys (Hayleys Advantis) and Dialog.

Dialog Axiata PLC launched Apple’s iPhone 17 series in Sri Lanka, with pre-orders selling out and promotional bundles including a free Apple 20W charger, 2TB complimentary data and 0% instalment plans up to 60 months. The devices are marketed as fully optimised for Dialog’s 5G network and include trade-in, extended warranty and accidental damage coverage.

Dialog Axiata PLC expanded its 5G trial network across 15 districts nationwide, operating Sri Lanka’s largest 5G trial. Trial locations include Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna and other urban and rural areas as Dialog continues to roll out 5G coverage.