News & market updates

Exhibitor registration for Sri Lanka Expo 2027 is open until 31 July 2026. The expo runs 14–17 Jan 2027 at BMICH with 650 booths across 25 sectors and offers opportunities to meet over 1,500 global buyers.

Ceylinco Life has commenced construction of its 36th company-owned branch in Kirindiwela, a 3,440 sq ft eco-friendly building planned to operate on a 100% self-sufficient solar system. The branch will use local prefabricated technology and include rainwater harvesting, an STP and energy-efficient systems.

Ceylinco Life has begun building its 36th company-owned eco-friendly branch in Kirindiwela, a 3,440 sq ft facility planned to run on 100% solar power. The branch will use local prefabricated technology and include rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling facilities.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board has kept online exhibitor registration for Sri Lanka Expo 2027 open until 31 July 2026. The expo will run 14–17 January 2027 at BMICH with 650 booths and opportunities to meet over 1,500 global buyers across 25 sectors.

Colombo market opened deep in the red: ASPI fell 0.44% (98.08 pts) to 22,080.65 and the S&P SL20 dropped 0.44% as foreign investors were net sellers of Rs. 315.8m. Main negatives included Ceylinco, HNB, RIL and Central Finance; utilities (led by Windforce), capital goods and banking led turnover.

UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka hosted CATALYZE 2026: Environment, a two-day forum on corporate environmental sustainability; Sampath Bank was main partner and listed firms including Dilmah, Teejay Lanka, Hayleys, Talawakelle, Commercial Bank and Kelani Valley participated as partners or patrons.

HayWind One (Hayleys Fentons), part of Hayleys PLC, has received all ten turbines for the 50MW Mannar Wind Farm, moving the project into peak construction and installation with energisation targeted by December 2026. Once operational it will add 50MW to the grid and is projected to save ~LKR 100 billion in imported fuel costs over 20 years.

SLAM Power Solutions and Ceyring commissioned Sri Lanka's first industrial-scale BESS integrated with solar at Ceyring's Horana factory — a 125 kW / 241 kWh BSLBATT system paired with an existing 100 kW rooftop PV. The installation is designed for peak shaving, grid-failure backup and smoothing solar output for industry.

Dialog Axiata PLC was named Sri Lanka's Most Loved Brand in the Service and Telecommunications sectors for the third consecutive year in the LMD Brands Annual survey. It also won 'Service Brand of the Year' (fifth time) and 'Telecommunication Brand of the Year' (15th consecutive year) at the SLIM-KANTAR People's Awards 2026 and highlighted investments in 5G, AI-driven services and renewable energy initiatives.

INFRACON 2026 opened at BMICH in Colombo and runs through Sunday; the exhibition brings regional exhibitors in HVAC-R, power & energy (including green energy), safe water management and building materials to promote trade, investment and technology in Sri Lanka's infrastructure and construction sectors.

L B Finance (LFIN.N0000) secured $35m in long-term funding — $20m from Norfund and $15m from Swedfund — to support MSMEs, climate-smart agriculture, and electric/hybrid vehicle financing.

The Sri Lanka–Germany Business Council held Members' Day where Germany reaffirmed cooperation and highlighted opportunities in logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy, green technologies, digital transformation and tourism. SLGBC also announced a CSR project to support a local school's infrastructure.

GITA, together with the Indo‑Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has launched an India Trade Desk in Colombo to provide end-to-end, one-to-one advisory and market-entry support for Sri Lankan firms seeking to expand into India. The service targets SMEs and larger firms across textiles, food processing, ICT/BPM, tourism, pharma, logistics, manufacturing and renewable energy.

The Sri Lanka–Germany Business Council held its Members' Day, with Germany reaffirming bilateral partnership and participants highlighting trade and investment opportunities in logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy/green tech, digital transformation and tourism; SLGBC also announced a CSR project and networking initiatives.

Ceylon Chamber held a dialogue on Sri Lanka's energy transition to advance renewable energy, storage, grid modernisation and the development of technical and safety standards to attract investment. Speakers highlighted aligning energy policy with economic growth and supporting digitalisation, EVs and data centres.

Speakers at a Ceylon Chamber forum urged Sri Lanka to adopt clear technical and safety standards and frameworks to scale renewable energy and storage, improve grid reliability and attract investment. They also highlighted skills development, industry–academia links and alignment with digitalisation needs like AI, e-mobility and data centres.

German Ambassador Felix Neumann urged continued trade facilitation to boost Sri Lanka–Germany ties, highlighting opportunities in logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy, digital transformation and tourism. He delivered the keynote at the Sri Lanka–Germany Business Council Members' Day to promote investment and collaboration.

Hayleys PLC's Hayleys Solar commissioned and handed over a 90 kW rooftop solar power system to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, which will supply a substantial portion of the faculty's daily energy needs and reduce reliance on grid electricity.

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce held a forum on Sri Lanka's energy transition, focusing on renewable deployment, energy storage, grid modernization, technical and safety standards, and policy frameworks to attract investment and support digitalisation (AI, e-mobility, data centres).

Assetline Finance PLC posted PAT of Rs. 3,084.6m for the year ended 31 Mar 2026, up 13.6%, and successfully issued and listed a Rs. 5 billion debenture on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Total assets rose 71% to Rs. 89,523.4m and the lease/loan portfolio grew 85.1% to Rs. 79,195m, with Net Stage 3 loans at 0.98%.

Scouts.io closed a funding round at a Rs. 1.6 billion valuation. Investors include SITREK Security Solutions and an investor connected to Janashakthi/First Capital; Scouts offers AI/ML drone systems for security, inspections, precision agriculture, emergency response and conservation.

DIMO added 18MW of solar capacity via four new Galle plants, raising its cumulative solar generation to 25.845 MW (AC). The projects are expected to produce about 31.8 million kWh/year, cut ~12,945 tCO2e annually and supply ~37,937 households.

Colombo market opened down 0.65% as the ASPI fell 146.53 points to 22,263.28 with turnover over Rs.1.7bn and foreign net outflow of Rs.466.1m; Windforce, CIC and Hayleys were main negative contributors while Windforce, Colombo Dockyard and Sathosa Motors led turnover.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urged a whole-of-government, science-based National Climate Resilience strategy, warning of a limited window before a likely strong 2026–27 El Niño and proposing anticipatory governance, reservoir/water management, climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems and a disaster intelligence centre.

Hayleys Agriculture Holdings launched the 'Where Value Blossoms' campaign to position itself as a diversified, export-focused agricultural group (HJS Condiments ≈60% of Sri Lanka's processed fruit & veg exports). The company highlights digital platform OMNIX, sustainability measures (27% of water from sustainable sources), a 12,500+ outgrower network and a Haychem Bangladesh subsidiary.

Hayleys Solar (Hayleys PLC) and PMF Finance PLC signed an MOU to provide customised financing for residential and commercial solar installations, aiming to lower upfront costs and accelerate solar adoption in Sri Lanka.

DIMO commissioned four solar plants in Galle totalling 18MW, raising its cumulative solar capacity to 25.845 MW (AC). The projects are expected to generate about 31.8 million kWh/year, cut ~12,945 tCO2e annually and supply electricity to ~37,937 households.

The Ceylon Chamber met IMF staff during the fund’s recent visit to discuss sustaining macroeconomic stability and priorities for H2 2026, focusing on improving the investment climate, export expansion, tourism and agriculture support, energy-sector reforms and accelerating digitalisation.

Scouts, a Sri Lankan drone and robotics startup, closed a funding round at a LKR 1.6 billion valuation. Investors include SITREK Group and industry figures; the company targets security, precision agriculture and renewable-energy asset inspection with AI-enabled drones.