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.
Construction ActivityTourismExportersRenewable Energy
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.
CICT has fully electrified its RTG crane fleet at the Port of Colombo and is converting diesel ITVs to electric, adding charging stations, energy-management systems and water-reuse measures as part of a broader sustainability, community and biodiversity programme.
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.
Electronics industry is shifting ESG from reporting to supply‑chain and operational management, driven by market pressure and EU regulations. The updated IPC-1401B standard aims to help manufacturers embed ESG across procurement, manufacturing and governance.
Global sustainable consulting is forecast to reach $27.21bn by 2034, growing at a 9.5% CAGR from $11.79bn in 2025 as mandatory ESG rules and decarbonisation drive demand for sustainability advisory. Manufacturing, energy, infrastructure/green building and professional services are the main demand centers, with consultancies expanding digital and operational capabilities.
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 large EEZ and strategic maritime location offer opportunities to grow a Blue Economy across fisheries, ports/logistics, tourism, aquaculture, marine biotechnology and ocean renewables. Realising this will require ESG-aligned investment, tech adoption, sustainable management and coordinated policy.
Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 336.20/30 to the US dollar (from 336.35/40), while government bond yields were broadly steady, with nearby maturities trading roughly between 10.30% and 12.15%.
Central Bank warns the public against informal plantation and forestry schemes promising monthly payouts or large end returns and urged investors to seek refunds and report non-compliant firms. It also instructed media to verify Central Bank licences before accepting ads that solicit deposits.
Sri Lanka rupee quoted at 336.30/40 to the US dollar in the spot market; bond yields were broadly steady, with quoted maturities around roughly 11.20% (2029) up to about 12.75% (2037).
Rupee & ForexInterest Rates
Ada Derana·Jul 23, 2026·Earnings & results·NDBPositive
NDB reported Q2 2026 standalone post-tax profit of LKR 3.01 billion and 1H 2026 post-tax profit of LKR 4.83 billion, with operating profit before taxes of LKR 9.50 billion after recognising a LKR 2.55 billion fraud impact. Excluding the fraud, 1H profit would be LKR 6.21 billion; revenue grew 12.8%, Stage 3 coverage improved to 62.9%, and CET1/Tier 1 ratio was 9.7%.
Oil prices rose to a six-week high as US strikes on Iran and Houthi attacks on tankers raised shipping and supply risks, lifting Brent to about $96/bbl and WTI to $88.27. US crude stocks rose by 2 million barrels last week, partly offsetting tightness concerns.
CBSL held the policy rate at 8.75% after its Monetary Board review, citing Middle East-driven commodity price shocks; headline inflation rose to 6.8% YoY in June 2026. The bank said inflation will remain above the 5% target in the near term, stands ready to act, and noted reserves of $6.45bn with some rupee stabilisation.
Interest RatesRupee & ForexFuel & Energy PricesTourism
Lanka Realty Investments PLC (ASCO.N0000) sold its 50.88% controlling stake in On'ally Holdings PLC (ONAL.N0000) to Lee Hedges PLC (SHAW.N0000) for about Rs.2.26 billion, unlocking capital and an estimated separate-company gain of ≈Rs.834.09m before costs. Lee Hedges gains Unity Plaza, boosting recurring rental income and scale.
National Development Bank PLC reported operating profit before taxes on financial services of Rs. 9.5 billion and post-tax profit of Rs. 4.83 billion for 1H 2026 after recognising Rs. 2.55 billion of fraud-related losses (part of a revised total Rs. 13.58 billion). Excluding the fraud, 1H post-tax profit would have been Rs. 6.21 billion; CET1 9.7%, CAR 15.3% and LCRs >163%.
CBSL Governor said private sector credit expanded 27.8% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026, with outstanding private credit at Rs.11.04 trillion in May. He said the 100-basis-point policy rate hike in May and other measures are expected to gradually moderate credit growth and demand pressures.
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%.
CBSL said loan-to-value (LTV) limits for motor-vehicle and gold-backed loans will remain as macroprudential measures. Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe added there is no indication the Finance Ministry will change or suspend the vehicle import surcharge.
Hayleys Agriculture Holdings opened Hayleys Nature Nest, Sri Lanka's first frozen concentrated coconut water manufacturing facility to produce premium concentrated coconut water for export. The facility is intended to boost value-added agricultural exports and support local coconut growers.
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.
Sri Lanka's Industry Minister Sunil Handunneththi visited India (14–18 July 2026) to advance cooperation in textiles, manufacturing, agribusiness, technology, investment and tourism. He met Indian textile ministers at BharatTex, toured RIICO's industrial park and a Mega Food Park, held a FICCI roundtable and discussed direct air links and investment opportunities.