News & market updates

Finetech Consultancy hosted 'Nexus: Gemini Enterprise for Business' on 24 July, promoting Google Gemini solutions it says can drive up to 15X productivity for Sri Lankan enterprises. The event featured technical sessions, a client success case from Anunine Holdings, and a Q&A on implementation and security.

Sri Lanka Telecom Plc (SLT-MOBITEL) will be a founding member and infrastructure partner for the proposed National AI Institute, providing shared AI infrastructure to support research, innovation and national digital transformation.

Dialog Axiata has partnered with Singer Sri Lanka to integrate Dialog Pay at more than 420 Singer showrooms, enabling customers to pay by scanning a LankaQR via the Dialog Pay or MyDialog apps. The integration supports eZ Cash or linked bank accounts and extends Dialog Pay's digital wallet, transfers and savings features to Singer's retail network.

Sri Lanka Brand Conclave 2026 will be held on 28 July at Cinnamon Grand to bring global brand leaders and local senior executives together; senior marketing leaders from Singer (SINS.N0000) and Dialog Axiata (DIAL.N0000) will participate in sessions on AI, digital transformation and brand leadership.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI rose 0.57% (up 120.83 pts) to 21,293.57 at midday, with market turnover LKR 264 million and capital goods leading turnover at LKR 80.9 million. Ceylon Cold Stores reported June-quarter profit of LKR 1.063 billion, down 3% year-on-year.

India amended its DTAA with Sri Lanka to add a Principal Purpose Test (Protocol signed 16 Dec 2024, entered into force 19 Jun 2026; India applies amendments for fiscal years from 1 Apr 2027), and Deloitte urges Sri Lanka to modernise its treaty network. Sri Lanka has not joined the MLI, so updates would require bilateral negotiations.

India and Sri Lanka's DTAA was amended to add a strengthened preamble and a Principal Purpose Test (PPT); the Protocol entered into force on 19 Jun 2026 and India will apply the changes for fiscal years starting on or after 1 Apr 2027. Deloitte says Sri Lanka should modernise its treaty network (it has not joined the MLI) and urges businesses to review cross‑border structures for genuine commercial substance.

Kapruka Holdings (KPHL.N0000) has partnered with Abans Environmental Services to list multiple cleaning and pest-control services on Kapruka's platform, with several services already live and additional services planned for rollout.

Samsung Sri Lanka will open pre-orders soon for the new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8, offering the company's latest foldable smartphones through authorised stores and dealers islandwide.

SLCERT has launched a Malware Analysis & Threat Hunting (MATH) Lab to bolster proactive cybersecurity for more than 250 government entities. The lab will perform threat hunting, external attack-surface monitoring and share threat intelligence to improve early detection and reduce large-scale cyber incidents.

SEC, CSE and CA Sri Lanka signed an MoU to implement XBRL-based reporting for companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, targeting rollout in the latter part of 2026. The CSE has procured and customised the XBRL platform and is completing UAT while a joint committee finalises the taxonomy and implementation framework.

Kaspersky research of 7,200 respondents finds 52% of Gen Z have experienced device, account or data attacks. Despite 67% using smartphones as their main device, only 27% use mobile antivirus and 28% regularly back up smartphone data.

3Rive Technologies has become an official partner in Anthropic's Claude Partner Network, expanding its regional AI-first legal technology services and planning public Claude workshops and community building in Colombo.

TECNO launched the CAMON 50 Pro in Sri Lanka, featuring AI 60X Super Zoom, SuperZoom FlashSnap, a 50MP Sony Ultra Night Camera, IP68/IP69K rating and priced at LKR 159,999. The phone is available islandwide through authorised TECNO retailers and targets young users with advanced camera and AI features.

Samsung Sri Lanka will open pre-orders soon for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8. Pre-orders will be available through authorised Samsung stores and dealers islandwide, with details on availability and customer benefits to be announced.

China Unicom Beijing and Huawei launched the world's largest 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink commercial network, recording a 100 MHz uplink effective ratio of 83%, peak uplink 1 Gbps and average uplink 397 Mbps in a 34 km drive test. The deployment used 3.5 GHz + 2.1 GHz SUL and demonstrated support for AI device and real-time cloud scenarios.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will host a business networking session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July at the Hilton Colombo Residences to connect Sri Lankan firms with Indian companies. Participating sectors include manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, renewable energy and tourism.

Colombo market extended its rebound as the ASPI rose 0.24% (49.81 pts) to 21,199.37 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.22% to 5,945.87, with turnover about Rs.1.1bn and foreigners net sellers of Rs.188.6m. Top contributors included HNB, CARS, CINS, NDB and TKYO; NDB, SAMP and PKME gained while MELS fell and JKH closed flat.

CRIB hosted its Annual CEOs Forum and Institutional Rating Awards 2026 and officially launched the MyCRIB mobile app to give citizens real-time access to credit profiles and scores. The event, attended by CEOs across banks, NBFIs, insurance, telecoms and utilities, emphasised digital transformation, AI, data governance and financial inclusion.

Ceylon Chamber will host a business networking session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July at the Hilton Colombo Residences, offering Sri Lankan firms opportunities to explore trade, investment and partnerships across sectors including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, renewables and tourism.

Despite political backlash, the global shift to cleaner energy and converging sustainability disclosure standards (ISSB, EU rules) is accelerating, driven by large investors and prompting manufacturers and financiers to adopt carbon accounting, taxonomy-aligned finance and digital product passports.

Boards and regulators are urged to treat cybersecurity as a governance priority — giving CISOs stronger board access, mandatory incident reporting and minimum standards — because breaches can disrupt hospitals, payments systems and critical infrastructure.

Solar and wind are now the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in most parts of the world, shifting renewable energy from a reputational choice to a cost-saving, price-stability option for companies. Firms are adopting rooftop solar, PPAs and storage across manufacturing, retail, logistics and large IT users to cut costs and meet rising disclosure rules.

Green finance is emerging in Sri Lanka to channel investment into renewable energy, green bonds, ESG-linked lending and sustainable infrastructure to boost climate resilience and economic recovery. Banks, capital markets, developers, tourism operators and tech firms are highlighted as key participants.

Sri Lanka's export earnings rose 7.96% YoY to $9.01bn in Jan–Jun 2026, with June exports at $1.65bn (up 12.5% YoY). Merchandise exports were $7.07bn (up 8.95%) and services $1.93bn (up 4.49%), led by ICT/BPM, EECs, processed foods and coconut products while tea fell 5.69%.

Colombo market rose after the Central Bank held policy rates steady; ASPI +0.02% to 21,149.56 while S&P SL20 fell 0.21%. SEYB, PKME, CARG and SEMB were main positive contributors as real estate management & development drove 65% of turnover with crossings in ONAL; foreigners net-sold Rs.241m.

Delmege Insurance Brokers warns Sri Lankan directors face rising personal liability in 2026 from the PDPA, Companies Act obligations and cyber threats, and recommends Directors' & Officers' and Cyber insurance to protect boards and cover legal defence costs.

Sri Lanka's services exports rose 3.75% year-on-year to $344.52m in June 2026, led by ICT/BPM (+11.31% to $150.49m) and financial services (+29.56% to $3.21m); construction fell 26.14% and transport and logistics dipped 0.79%.

Adopting circular economy practices can turn Sri Lanka's municipal, agricultural and industrial waste into economic value through recycling, reuse, and waste-to-energy, improving resource efficiency and creating jobs. Opportunities span manufacturing, construction, agriculture, packaging/retail, and digital technologies for material tracking and financing.

Sri Lankan businesses are increasingly treating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a strategic driver of innovation, employee retention and investor confidence. Inclusive policies, transparent reporting and supply-chain labour standards are highlighted as ways to boost competitiveness and attract responsible investment.