News & market updates

Diesel & Motor Engineering (DIMO) held a five-day Mega Fiesta in Kurunegala that brought together over 400 Tata commercial vehicle owners for free bumper-to-bumper inspections, technical consultations and up to 50% discounts on Tata genuine parts. The event also offered fluid top-ups, finance/insurance displays and a CSR eye-check benefiting 235 people.

Crystal Property Group launched MIRA Weligama, an ultra-luxury branded residence of 44 units priced from US$400,000 and managed by The One Group, with completion scheduled for September 2028.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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%.

Ceylinco Life (Ceylinco Holdings PLC) had 32 green branch buildings by end-2025 that generated ~1.12 GWh of solar energy, harvested 3.08M litres of rainwater and recycled 1.386M litres of water. The company says it has embedded ESG across investments, operations and products and plans to expand renewables and green branches.

Companies can cut carbon footprints and reduce energy costs with low-cost steps — upgrading equipment, switching to renewables, optimizing transport, working with suppliers, reducing waste and measuring emissions to find savings.

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.

Ceylon Chamber will host a Business Networking Session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July 2026 at the Hilton Colombo Residences to explore trade, investment and partnerships across sectors including construction, healthcare, IT, renewable energy, tourism and food processing.

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust launched the Moonamal Award to recognise built-environment and public-policy projects in Sri Lanka that promote ecological design and human–nature coexistence; applications open August 2026 and the inaugural winner will be announced mid-2027.

Cabinet approved forming a multi-agency committee to recommend transferring around 60 roads from Provincial Councils and local authorities to the Road Development Authority for urgent rehabilitation. The panel will study legal, administrative and institutional arrangements and includes representatives from relevant ministries, the RDA and provincial bodies.

Phoenix Miras Ltd. has committed to invest in a Grade-A office development, Colombo Gateway, on Plot 1-01-04 in Port City Colombo. CHEC Port City Colombo said the project reinforces investor confidence and aims to create a premier commercial address within Port City.

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur and the Federation of Malaysian Sri Lankan Organisations agreed to boost tourism and investment ties, exploring improved air connectivity and projects such as hotels, theme parks and golf/leisure developments to promote travel and cultural links.

Hayleys PLC's subsidiary Hayleys Aventura commissioned Sri Lanka's first outdoor automated rotary parking system. The installation offers space-efficient automated parking for urban developments with platform retrieval within a maximum of 2.5 minutes.

Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka will celebrate its centennial on 2 August 2026, marking 100 years of service to surveying, mapping and land administration. The institute will hold technical sessions and a gala, and is promoting digital land administration, geospatial innovation and stronger professional standards.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI fell 0.22% (47.45 pts) to 21,160.65 with turnover Rs 3.28bn, led by food & staples retailing and large crossings dominated by Cargills. Dialog, John Keells, Aitken Spence and Lanka Ashok Leyland were top gainers while Ceylinco Insurance, Harischandra Mills and HNB were top losers.

The Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo conducted high-level engagements and an investor forum in Muscat to court Omani investors and promote Port City Colombo as a South Asia gateway, exploring SEZ synergies and investor referral mechanisms.

Access Real Estate appointed former Sri Lanka bowler Chaminda Vaas as brand ambassador as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. The developer says it has delivered over 155 projects on 350 acres and served more than 4,500 landowners with ready-to-build plots.

IFC and HSBC will provide up to $40 million in financing to South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT)—a $20m sustainability-linked loan from IFC (including $8.57m mobilized) and a $20m green loan from HSBC—to fund twin-lift ship-to-shore cranes, raising quay productivity by at least 11% and cutting energy use.

AA3 Holdings (Pvt) Ltd opened Sri Lanka's largest ex-stock heavy equipment showroom and a fully equipped workshop in Kiribathgoda, boosting local access to earthmoving, excavation and road-construction machinery. The facility includes an advanced service centre and aims to serve clients across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce convened stakeholders to map priorities to accelerate Sri Lanka's renewable energy transition, prioritising solar expansion, net‑metering, procurement frameworks, financing and energy storage. Participants called for stable policy, streamlined approvals, grid upgrades and better access to finance to boost investment and delivery.

Hatton National Bank (HNB.N0000) was named Sri Lanka's Best Bank for Large Corporates at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, its second time winning the title. The bank cited involvement in a USD 1bn sustainability-linked syndication, LKR 44.5bn financing for a 350MW power project and investments in digital and transaction banking.

Overseas Realty (Ceylon) PLC signed a lease for the Embassy of France to relocate its Colombo offices to Mireka Tower, the company's Grade A office development in Colombo.