News & market updates

Christell Luxury Wellness won the Quality Achievement Award 2025 for the Healthcare Sector at the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) Awards in Dubai. The clinic also secured multiple regional accolades in 2025 and launched a Super Specialty Hair Restoration Lab during the year.

Vision Care served as the Official Eyewear Partner at Colombo Fashion Week’s Luxury Edit: Couture + Trousseau 2025, showcasing Swarovski and Versace eyewear collections. The premium collections are now available at select Vision Care branches in Sri Lanka.

Amaliya Early Learning Centre marked its 10th anniversary, reporting that 85 hearing-impaired children have transitioned to mainstream schools after participating in its programmes using the Dhvani auditory-verbal methodology. The centre, the only institution in Sri Lanka using Dhvani, offers early intervention and preschool instruction in Sinhala, Tamil and English for ages 0-5.

World Bank Group will make up to $120 million available by repurposing existing project funds to support Sri Lanka's recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, restoring healthcare, water, education, agriculture and infrastructure. The IFC will also provide advisory support and targeted investments to bolster agriculture, manufacturing, logistics and MSMEs.

World Bank is providing $120mn to Sri Lanka by repurposing existing project funds to support cyclone recovery. The emergency support will restore health care, water, education, agriculture and connectivity, and IFC will offer advisory support and investments to agriculture, manufacturing and logistics while a GRADE assessment seeks further financing.

World Bank is making up to US$120 million in emergency support available to Sri Lanka by repurposing funds after Cyclone Ditwah. The support will restore essential services (health care, water, education, agriculture, connectivity) and the IFC will provide advisory and investments to help private-sector recovery (agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, MSMEs).

Hemas Holdings' Hemas Surgicals and Diagnostics, in partnership with Nihon Kohden Singapore, introduced the Cereb Air next-generation EEG at the Sri Lanka College of Emergency Physicians congress and discussed a field study to test rapid seizure diagnosis and potential hospital cost savings.

IFC's South Asia director urged Sri Lanka to rebrand as a green, outward-looking, export-driven investment destination and fix policy predictability. IFC has about $270m in long-term Sri Lanka exposure and is pursuing opportunities in tourism, digital services, agribusiness, renewables, manufacturing, healthcare, ports and finance.

Siddhalepa (Hettigoda Group) won the Outstanding Research Collaboration Award in Healthcare, Wellness & Life Science Research and received a Certificate of Merit for an indexed journal publication at the SLTC Research & Innovation Awards 2025 for its project 'Exploring the Bioactivity of Siddhalepa Asamodagam Spirit'.

Dipped Products PLC donated 50,000 protective gloves to the Ministry of Defence for flood relief. The gloves, handed over by Hayleys PLC's chairman alongside DPL's MD, will be deployed to assist relief personnel and volunteers in flood-affected areas.

Janashakthi Life, a subsidiary of JXG, is title sponsor of the ICA International Colombo Half Marathon on 14 December 2025, an event expected to attract over 2,000 runners and awarding LKR 5.7 million in prize money. The marathon promotes organ-donation awareness, Sri Lanka tourism and supports 367 orphanages caring for about 10,600 children.

A Vietnamese trade delegation led by Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang met Sri Lankan officials on 9 December to explore investments in agriculture (including coffee), aquaculture, logistics, textiles, pharmaceuticals and direct flights to support post-cyclone economic recovery.

A. Baur & Co (Baurs) has been named Patron of the Business & Human Rights Working Group of the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka and is strengthening its human rights, anti-corruption, and sustainability practices across agriculture, healthcare and digital operations as it marks its 125th year.

AIESEC at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura held Launchpad 3.0, a career fair and professional development forum led by title partner Ceylinco Life Insurance that connected students with panels, workshops and local/international internship and job opportunities.

The Ceylon Chamber coordinated Cyclone Ditwah relief with member companies including Aitken Spence, Central Finance, Union Assurance, Union Bank, Eastern Merchants and Wealthtrust, mobilising over 190 volunteer hours and handling 40,000+ emergency assistance requests to support the DMC’s emergency operations.

The Committee on Public Finance endorsed up to Rs. 50 billion in a supplementary estimate for disaster relief to be funded from the Consolidated Fund, other State finances, or government-secured loans for use in the 2025 fiscal year. The Committee also approved VAT Section 71 and NMRA regulations and reviewed the Auditor General’s 2026 audit programme, which adds Samurdhi community-based banks and may require 10–15% more audit staff or outsourcing.

ChildFund Sri Lanka mobilized LKR 15 million in Phase 1 emergency aid after catastrophic floods displaced over 1.1 million people and killed 355. The response focuses on child protection, psychosocial support, education continuity, food security and WASH, with thousands of children impacted or unreachable.

IHH Healthcare supported the College of Cardiology annual session where Dr Sivathasan Cumaraswamy urged patient-centric, preventive cardiology to improve access and outcomes across Sri Lanka. The event emphasized collaboration to enhance training, research and care delivery models.

Hemas Hospital Wattala sponsored SLSG 2025 and introduced Sri Lanka’s most advanced Fibroscan to enable rapid, non‑invasive liver assessment. The hospital also launched the private sector’s first pediatric liver unit and highlighted its multidisciplinary liver centre.

IHH Healthcare Singapore Sri Lanka hosted Dr. Paul Chiam at the College of Physicians’ 58th Annual Academic Sessions 2025 in Colombo to present on guideline-directed heart failure management, strengthening cross-border clinical collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Lulu Group chairman Yusuff Ali donated Rs. 32 million to Sri Lanka's national relief and recovery fund for Cyclone Ditwah; UAE missions are also sending containers and air cargo. The cyclone has killed 635 people, 192 are missing and about 1.76 million people have been affected, with thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

LOLC Finance PLC's Factoring Business offers upfront cash financing of up to 85% of credit sales and operates through a network of over 200 branches. The unit provides non-collateral, receivable-management solutions (including a Shariah-compliant option) and supports sectors such as supermarkets, pharmaceuticals and plantations.

IMF has assured continued support for Sri Lanka after the cyclone and is closely engaging with authorities as a rapid post-disaster damage assessment proceeds; the Staff‑Level Agreement on the Fifth Review under the EFF remains on track ahead of a December 15 Board meeting. IMF staff are exploring additional support options pending assessment results.

Seylan Bank PLC has partnered with eChannelling to integrate the healthcare platform with the Bank’s Open API, enabling real-time automated payments and instantaneous reconciliation via LankaPay’s JustPay services.

Round Table Sri Lanka has distributed 10,000+ food parcels, 1,000+ ration packs and coordinated about 100 rescues since 28 Nov after Cyclone Ditwah, and is conducting dry-ration airlifts with partners including Expolanka and the airforce to reach flood-cut areas.

Trade and Investment Queensland and Study Queensland held a two-day engagement in Sri Lanka with five Queensland universities (Griffith, James Cook, Bond, Central Queensland, Southern Cross) to promote scholarships, study pathways and student support. Officials highlighted opportunities in health, technology, agriculture, hospitality and construction and projected approximately 100,000 jobs from proposed projects ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

IMF will provide swift access to about USD 350 million (the sixth EFF tranche) within two weeks to support Sri Lanka's cyclone relief. Development partners also pledged immediate humanitarian aid and to repurpose financing for medium-term infrastructure and recovery efforts.

ADB will provide immediate grant support of up to $3 million to Sri Lanka (and $2 million each to Thailand and Viet Nam) from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to support emergency flood relief, humanitarian efforts and rebuilding of affected communities and infrastructure.

ADB will provide immediate grant support of up to $3 million to Sri Lanka (and $2 million each to Thailand and Viet Nam) from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to support emergency humanitarian relief and rebuilding after severe floods.