News & market updates

BOI celebrated International Women’s Day across multiple zones and announced a Rs.33 million allocation to build a Family Health Service Unit in Seethawaka, with a proposed daycare and construction planned to start this year. Events included education sessions with universities and stakeholders to promote women’s workforce participation and attract investment.

Nawaloka Hospitals PLC commissioned South Asia’s first AI-driven Canon Vantage Orian MRI on March 18, 2025, completing a USD 4.5 million radiology upgrade. The AI-powered scanner improves image clarity and speed, can avoid contrast injections, and is intended to raise diagnostic standards at the hospital.

Cipla has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Formosa Pharmaceuticals to commercialize USFDA‑approved clobetasol propionate ophthalmic suspension (APP13007) across 11 countries including Sri Lanka, with upfront payments, royalties and milestone-based considerations.

The EU, FAO and Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health hosted a BESPA Project panel to strengthen food safety control mechanisms in Sri Lanka. The event highlighted capacity-building, regulatory improvements and public-awareness efforts to improve food safety governance across the food value chain.

The Shiranee Joseph De Saram Foundation is commemorating World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March 2025 and highlighting its vocational 'Thrive' program that provides training and supported employment for people with Down syndrome. The foundation also promotes inclusion through advocacy, workshops and corporate collaborations.

eChannelling PLC unveiled an AI-powered eHospital, an AI face-scanning health system that measures pulse, blood pressure, HRV and breathing, and a Smart Ring wearable at Medicare 2025 (Feb 28–Mar 2, 2025). The launches were showcased as the company’s official digital-health partner presence with SLT-MOBITEL involvement and a demonstration attended by Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.

The government ordered minimum wages raised from 21,000 to 27,000 by April 2025 and to 30,000 from 2026, prompting business calls for consultation and warnings of SME closures. Commentators linked the move to recent currency and central bank policy shifts and noted past ad hoc wage and price controls.

Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said Sri Lanka will speed up drug supplier registrations and reduce a backlog from 2,500 to about 450 files to boost competition and end registration corruption at the NMRA.

Sunshine Holdings' CSR arm, Sunshine Foundation for Good, inaugurated its 21st RO water treatment plant at Nakwatthagama, supplying safe drinking water to over 2,500 people. The plant is part of the Diyasarana initiative aimed at improving community health and reducing waterborne diseases including CKDu.

The Workshop Players will stage "Encore for a Cause" on 18 March at The Lionel Wendt Theatre to raise funds for the Indira Cancer Trust’s Suwa Arana Palliative Paediatric Care Centre, with all proceeds going to the centre. Tickets are Rs. 5000/4000/3000 (reserved) and Rs. 1000 (Balcony).

DelveInsight released a MASH Market Size and Share Assessment covering key Asian countries including Sri Lanka, estimating about 42 million prevalent MASH cases in the 7MM and 15 million diagnosed cases in 2023. The report highlights wide prevalence variation across Asian markets, notes only one approved MASH drug (Rezdiffra, approved March 14, 2024), and provides market-entry and competitive insights for pharma companies.

Emirates invested more than USD 2.4 million with Parsys to co-design a telemedicine station to be rolled out to 300 aircraft, offering HD video, Bluetooth vitals transmission and cloud links to ground medical support for real-time inflight care.

Bairaha Farms PLC adopted and restored an ambulance under the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation’s 'Adopt an Ambulance' programme at a cost of Rs. 5 million, released for service on 5 March 2025. The vehicle is currently serving Nittambuwa in Gampaha, reflecting the company's community healthcare support.

LOLC Holdings' subsidiary LOLC Life Assurance will offer in March 2025 an additional 50% cover (up to Rs.1,000,000) for female-specific critical illnesses on policies with a minimum Rs.1,000,000 sum assured. The initiative also includes a Rs.25,000 cash reward for policyholders who give birth in March if their policy was obtained by 31 Dec 2024 and remains active.

Amana Takaful PLC has partnered with BIMA Lanka to offer policyholders 24/7 unlimited telemedicine phone consultations and cashless OPD services nationwide.

Sri Lanka will expand administered prices to 862 drugs, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said and plans to apply price formulae in the near future. The government is consulting importers and local producers and says it will speed up NMRA registrations to boost competition and cut costs.

George Steuart & Co. has become a Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). The partnership is intended to expand the group's export revenues and global collaborations across Commonwealth markets.

Advocata Institute CEO Dhananath Fernando urged Sri Lanka to target at least 5% annual GDP growth and pursue SOE reforms, PPPs and redirection of public spending to education and healthcare, citing excessive short‑term dollar debt and persistently low FDI as constraints.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met Excise Department officials to discuss integrating the department with the Inland Revenue Department and boosting state revenue via stricter regulation of alcohol and tobacco. The meeting also covered combating illegal alcohol, improving compliance, and HR and technology development.

NDB Bank hosted the Araliya Medical Camp on March 8 for about 200 Araliya Women’s Account holders, offering comprehensive medical screenings and year-round partial lab-test cost coverage for account holders with 5+ years to improve access to healthcare.

George Steuart & Co. has become a Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). The partnership is intended to support the group's push to increase export revenues and expand international collaborations across its tea, travel, health and FMCG businesses.

Austin House Aesthetic Centre, launched by Shirantha Peries of the Mega Pharma group, opened to a full house and will offer facials, peels, laser hair reduction and nail services using Thermoceutical, Umecare, Depileve and Cuccio; Peries pledged 20% of March 8 income to Sisters at Law.

Aloe Blacc arrived in Colombo for a two-day visit and said he is prepared to invest in Sri Lanka, including the tourism sector. He will meet government officials, entrepreneurs in cashew, coconut, organic goods, energy drinks and Ceylon cinnamon, and engage with biotechnology and investment stakeholders.

Mount Lotus Hospital is running a Glaucoma Week awareness campaign (9–15 March) promoting SLT as an alternative to lifelong eye drops and urging regular eye checks after age 35. The ISO 9001:2015 certified hospital said its SLT service can reduce or stop daily drops and showcased benefits at a Medicare exhibition.

Sri Lanka will host the Joint 8th World Congress on Twin Pregnancy and the 20th ISTS Congress from 10–12 August 2025. Hosted by the Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care with the Sri Lankan Twin Registry (over 9,000 twin pairs), the congress will bring international twin researchers and showcase Sri Lanka's twin research.

American Polymers Ltd, a subsidiary of Cap Snap Lanka Ltd, won Gold Awards at the National Convention on Quality and Productivity 2024 and the 49th International Convention on Quality Control Circles. The packaging manufacturer operates two modern plants and a pharma clean-room, highlighting its quality and production capabilities.

AIA Insurance celebrated 20 years of bancassurance with a partners' event and previewed a publication, honouring bank partners including NDB, DFCC and Commercial Bank; the publication “In Pursuit of Perfection” will be released later this year.

American Polymers Pvt Ltd won two Gold Awards at the National Convention on Quality and Productivity 2024 and at the 49th International Convention on Quality Control Circles. The Cap Snap Lanka subsidiary supplies rigid packaging for sectors including pharmaceuticals and FMCG from two Sri Lankan plants.