News & market updates

Peradeniya Veterinary Teaching Hospital has formally adopted Dr. Paw, developed by Pet Care Solutions Lanka, as its official digital veterinary hospital management system, with the platform provided free of charge. The system, beta-tested at PVTH since 2023, offers EHR, appointment scheduling, telemedicine, vaccination tracking and analytics.

Emirates will fully match donations to the Emirates Airline Foundation up to US$10,000 per donation to support 13 grassroots NGOs aiding children in nine countries. The campaign funds projects in health, education, housing and nutrition and accepts donations onboard, online or by bank transfer.

Suwa Diviya launched the "Ready to Live a Healthier Life" corporate wellness campaign, commencing with a wellness day at Sunshine Holdings that offered free health screenings, expert talks and healthy food experiences.

The Sri Lanka-Maldives Business Council donated 600 pairs of spectacles, 100 sunglasses, five hearing aids and medical testing equipment to Faresmaathoda Island, and provided training to local staff and two education scholarships for island residents.

The Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry launched a Q1 2025 industrial revival drive with a Rs.13 billion industrial budget, Rs.100 billion across ministries and a Rs.50 billion collateral-free SME loan scheme due in June. The plan includes SOE restructuring, VAT relief for pharma and dairy, export support and new industrial zones.

Technomedics International appointed Leshani Samaradiwakara as Executive Director effective 2 April. She was previously Business Unit Head at Technomedics and will be responsible for shaping strategy, managing risks and driving business expansion.

JAT Holdings relaunched its JAT Loyalty Program on 3 Dec 2024, adding an industry-first insurance scheme for painters and their families and enabling conversion of loyalty points to cash via a Commercial Bank debit card.

Vision Care ran a week-long mobile awareness campaign for World Optometry Week (Mar 17–23), converting two open tour buses on high-traffic Colombo routes into moving platforms to promote eye health and optometry careers.

Royal Nursing Home Pvt. Ltd. won the Platinum Award for Best Healthcare Provider of the Year (Large-Scale) at the Business World International Awards 2024. The provider won four awards this year and operates luxury nursing centres in Sri Lanka and London with over 1,600 staff.

Haleon Sri Lanka's Panadol will provide medicines and infrastructure — including three air-conditioned mobile medical centres and over 325 trained first aiders daily — to support devotees at the Sacred Tooth Relic Exposition in Kandy (18–27 April 2025). The initiative partners with Sri Lanka Red Cross, St. John Ambulance and Manawa Manusath Movement and will supply Panadol, Iodex and Eno to first-aid providers.

The Global Franchise Forum will hold its Sri Lanka edition on 27 April at the Sheraton Hotel Colombo, bringing top international brands, investors and entrepreneurs to explore franchise expansion in Sri Lanka. The event targets opportunities in hospitality, retail and healthcare and aims to connect franchisors with local partners to boost FDI and job creation.

Haleon Sri Lanka (Panadol) is launching the "Panadol Suwa Sahana Mehewara" to provide medicines, three air-conditioned mobile medical centres and over 325 trained first aiders daily for devotees at the Sacred Tooth Relic exposition in Kandy from 18 to 27 April.

The White House said China faces up to 245% tariffs on some exports to the US and has launched a Section 232 probe into critical mineral imports; the announcement cited items including syringes (up to 245% tariffs) and lithium-ion batteries (up to 175%).

Technomedics International Pvt Ltd appointed Ms. Leshani Samaradiwakara as Executive Director effective 2 April 2025. She was previously Business Unit Head at Technomedics and is a director at JF & I Packaging (Kenya), bringing experience in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Sri Lanka's Committee on Public Finance flagged confusion over the legal status of vapes and missed tax revenue, leaving vape products effectively unregulated. The article urges a clear regulatory framework to protect consumers and enable taxation of smokeless nicotine products.

Sri Lanka is considering energy imports and tariff reforms to address a 44% tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump, Deputy Economic Minister Anil Jayantha said. Virtual meetings with US officials have taken place and the Treasury has submitted documents to the USTR and White House as talks continue on sending a negotiation mission.

Hemas Hospital Wattala opened a new Catheterization Lab backed by a LKR 1 billion investment to provide advanced cardiac diagnostics and interventions, targeting a 60-minute door-to-balloon time. The facility uses Philips Azurion 7 technology to improve precision and reduce radiation exposure.

Sunshine Holdings' pharmaceutical arm Lina Manufacturing unveiled a new logo and brand identity after reporting LKR 4 billion revenue and producing over 3 million MDI units last financial year. Sunshine said it is committed to further investments to grow Lina as a leading respiratory pharma company.

The Insurance Association of Sri Lanka urged the public to prioritise safety during the festive season, warning of increased road‑traffic and firework risks and advising adherence to traffic rules and review/use of health, motor and travel insurance.

National Development Bank (NDB.N0000) promotes NDB Credit Cards with up to 70% savings across 400+ merchants and 0% instalment plans up to 36 months. Offers include weekly supermarket discounts, travel benefits and 0% healthcare/education instalments, available immediately to cardholders.

Asiri Hospital Holdings' Asiri Central Heart Centre launched a paediatric cardiothoracic surgery programme and performed its first atrial septal defect surgery on 25 January, funded under the government's Suraksha Student Insurance Scheme.

Medihelp Hospitals marked its 45th anniversary with a gala on March 22, highlighting growth to two multispecialty hospitals and 16 primary care centers handling over 8,000 daily transactions and the 2024 acquisition of Revival Physiotherapy Clinic.

Fitch says US tariffs raising the effective tariff rate to about 25% (notionally ~$800bn, 2.5% of GDP) will help narrow the 2025 budget deficit but raise recession risks and constrain the Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates.

The United States will impose 104% duties on imports from China, prompting a global market sell-off and driving the S&P 500 below 5,000. Tariffs also target pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, raising costs and disrupting exporters, retailers and manufacturers.

Hemas Holdings (HHL.N0000) has appointed Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma as Managing Director of Hemas Pharmaceuticals and Hemas Surgicals & Diagnostics. He brings over 25 years of cross-sector leadership experience, including roles at Dipped Products PLC and Shell.

Sunshine Holdings’ pharmaceutical arm Lina Manufacturing was the Platinum Sponsor of RESPIRE 2025, the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists’ 15th annual congress. The sponsorship highlights Lina’s commitment to respiratory healthcare and notes its portfolio of MDIs, DPIs and nebulization products.

Bileeta Ltd. celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2025, highlighting its Entution platform which serves 100+ organisations, 16,000+ users and has processed over 40 million transactions across multiple countries. The company has added AI demand-forecasting and launched the Entution sYnc app.

Technomedics International appointed Leshani Samaradiwakara as Executive Director effective 2 April 2025. She was previously Business Unit Head and brings experience in entrepreneurship, innovation management and strategic leadership.

Hemas Holdings appointed Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma as Managing Director of Hemas Pharmaceuticals and Hemas Surgicals & Diagnostics, effective April 2, 2025. He joins with over 25 years of cross-sector leadership experience to lead the businesses and strengthen healthcare partnerships.

UNFPA Sri Lanka hosted a corporate roundtable on 3 April with private-sector stakeholders to promote workplace women’s health and reproductive rights and encourage corporate commitments to sexual and reproductive health policies. The event served as a precursor to the regional launch of the Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business (CRJB) in May 2025.