News & market updates

Sampath Bank PLC held its fifth SME Business Circle in Jaffna, bringing SME entrepreneurs, partners and bank leaders together to discuss growth, resilience and access to innovative banking solutions. The bank highlighted its end-to-end AI capability for SME banking and hosted sessions on sustainability, market outlook and partner technology demonstrations.

The Sri Lanka, France Business Council held its 22nd Annual General Meeting in Colombo and elected Shaameel Mohideen (Spillburg Holdings) as President and Zafir Hashim (John Keells Holdings PLC) as Senior Vice President. Representatives from Aitken Spence and Diesel & Motor Engineering were also elected to the council committee.

ASUS launched the AI-powered ExpertBook Ultra in Sri Lanka and expanded its ExpertBook B and P series for enterprise customers. The Copilot+ PC line features up to Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, a 50 TOPS NPU, enterprise-grade security and local commercial support.

Blue Lanka Tours received the Sustainable Community Impact Initiative Award at the Sri Lankan Sustainability Awards 2026 for its community programmes; the company has donated over Rs. 1.29 million to the Little Hearts Project and contributes USD 10 from every tour booking toward treatment for children with congenital heart disease.

The George Keyt Foundation and the British High Commission will stage the exhibition '19th Century Views of Ceylon' at Westminster House on 31 July-1 August and have released a limited-edition 200-page companion book with nearly 100 illustrations, offered at Rs.6,000 until midnight 1 Aug (then Rs.7,500; delivery Rs.500).

ADRA Ceylon is shifting from conventional bulk tea exports to a solutions-provider model offering private-label manufacturing, customised blends, bubble-tea bases and wellness infusions to capture higher-value global markets and support stronger export earnings for Sri Lanka's tea sector.

HNB PLC has partnered with Euro Motors Pvt Ltd to introduce a comprehensive vehicle leasing solution in Sri Lanka, aimed at making DONGFENG and JETOUR vehicles more accessible. Euro Motors will complement the financing with maintenance services for customers.

Nutanix hosted its Lanka Tech Summit 2026 in Sri Lanka to showcase enterprise cloud, application modernization and digital infrastructure, outline its go-to-market strategy for the local market and reaffirm support for Sri Lanka’s US$15bn digital-economy target by 2030.

The Insurance Association of Sri Lanka will host the Sri Lanka International Insurance Summit (SLIIS) 2026 on 10-12 August 2026 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, bringing global and local insurers, regulators and policymakers together to discuss climate resilience, microinsurance, digital transformation, IFRS and ESG.

Sri Lanka's top 100 brands rose 17% to a combined Rs652bn, surpassing the 2019 peak of Rs630bn, says Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report. Banking accounted for 42% (Rs275bn) of the total; BOC remained most valuable while Commercial Bank, Sampath, Nations Trust, Dialog, Keells and PickMe all saw brand value gains.

Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading higher midday: ASPI up 0.13% (26.86 pts) at 21,175.57 and S&P SL20 up 0.23% at 5,959.94, with retailing leading turnover at LKR 1.029 billion. Seylan Bank reported Q2 profit attributable to equity holders of LKR 3.21 billion, up 16.31% y/y.

Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report shows the combined value of the nation's top 100 brands rose 17% to a record LKR652 billion, surpassing the 2019 peak; banking brands account for 42% (LKR275bn). Several listed firms including Commercial Bank, Dialog, Sampath, Nations Trust, PickMe and John Keells recorded brand-value gains.

Sampath Bank hosted an SME Business Circle in Jaffna to engage SME customers and promote long-term business success through knowledge sharing, access to innovative banking and digital solutions, and sessions on sustainability and market outlook.

The Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association (SLPMA) at its AGM reaffirmed the need for a national strategic roadmap to build pharmaceutical self-reliance and global competitiveness, noting a ~USD 600m market and local firms supplying just 5% of private demand. Dinesh Athapaththu was elected SLPMA president and the association urged predictable policy and transitional measures, including the Guaranteed Buyback Scheme, to attract investment and expand exports.

Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report: the combined brand value of the top 100 Sri Lankan brands rose 17% to a record Rs. 652 billion, surpassing the 2019 peak. Banking brands account for 42% (Rs. 275bn) of the total; several banks and digital brands posted double-digit gains.

The Shoppes at City of Dreams Sri Lanka announced a five-screen Scope Cinemas multiplex due to open on Level 10 before end-2026, featuring next-generation cinema technology and two exclusive VIP halls to enhance the destination's retail, dining and entertainment offering.

Bank of Ceylon was named Sri Lanka's Most Valuable Brand 2026 by Brand Finance Lanka, with a brand value of Rs. 65.5 billion (up 14.1% YoY) and its Brand Strength Rating upgraded to AAA. The bank reported a Profit Before Tax of Rs. 120.8 billion for FY2025 and said its BOC Flex digital platform surpassed Rs. 2 trillion in transaction value.

Siddhalepa Ayurveda products and Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort each won awards at the GlobalHealth Sri Lanka Awards 2026, receiving recognition for herbal wellness/functional nutrition and holistic health and wellness service provision respectively at the gala held on 21 July 2026 in Colombo.

HNB Life PLC marked its 25th anniversary by ringing the Colombo Stock Exchange opening bell in a special ceremony, commemorating its evolution from HNB Assurance to the rebranded HNB Life and reaffirming its focus on life insurance.

Sampath Bank PLC held its fifth SME Business Circle in Jaffna to connect SME entrepreneurs with the bank's leadership, strategic partners and advisory sessions. The event highlighted the bank's AI-enabled SME banking capabilities, sustainability guidance and networking with partners offering automation and agri solutions.

CA Sri Lanka opened applications for the TAGS Awards 2026 today, with entries accepted until 31 August 2026 and winners to be honoured at a December grand finale at Shangri‑La Colombo. The CSE is a strategic partner and the awards cover 36 sectors, new categories and an AI-enabled marking platform.

Union Assurance launched what it called the largest Leader Reward Scheme for agency leaders in Sri Lanka's life insurance industry at its Leader Conference 2026, aiming to recognise top performers and accelerate leadership development. Union Assurance is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC.

Teen Academy has secured exclusive accreditation from OBP UK for its Teen Master of Business program and is named the accredited delivery centre for Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Cohort 1 starts 8 August 2026 at the Postgraduate Institute of Management, Colombo.

The Digital Economy Ministry and SLT‑MOBITEL opened applications for the National AI Awards 2026 (AI Amplified); entries close 15 Aug and the awards will be presented on 4 Oct to recognise AI achievements across industry, academia, startups and the public sector.

A 31-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka to explore trade and investment opportunities, meeting government officials and firms including Hayleys PLC and signing two MoUs to strengthen export and investment cooperation.

EDB's National Packaging Centre ran a workshop on cinnamon packaging and EU PPWR compliance on 22 July, attended by nearly 100 participants. The session stressed PPWR enforcement (in force 11 Feb 2025; fully enforced 12 Aug 2026) and urged exporters to eliminate PFAS/heavy metals, prepare Declarations of Conformity and register under EPR schemes.

Colombo bourse ended lower: ASPI fell 0.38% to 21,148.71 and S&P SL20 dropped 0.26% to 5,946.03. Market turnover was nearly Rs.1.1bn, foreign investors were net sellers of Rs.710,860, with SPEN, CINS, COMB, ACL and RICH among the decliners.

The Sri Lanka-China Business Cooperation Council (SLCBCC) has partnered with Intex-InMac Sri Lanka 2026 to boost Sri Lanka-China textile trade and industry collaboration. The show runs 5-7 Aug 2026 at BMICH with over 250 exhibitors, including 130 Chinese firms, plus B2B meetings and workshops.

Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 Most Valuable Brands gives ranked companies a benchmark for their brand value against peers, both inside their own sector and across the wider economy. The rankings, together with Brand Finance's analysis, show how a brand's financial performance, stability, credibility and market recognition compare to the field. A place on the […]

Seylan Bank reported profit after tax of LKR 6.08 billion for H1 2026, up 10.78% year-on-year (profit before tax LKR 9.298 billion, +10.10%). Total assets rose to LKR 976 billion, ROE was 14.74% and the impaired loans (Stage 3) ratio remained 1.03%.