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Zirateh has secured three awards at the SLIM Digis, becoming the most awarded agency in the Automotive category, in what marks the agency’s first-ever application to the competition. The achievement includes Silver, Bronze and Finalist recognition, marking a significant milestone for the agency and highlighting its growing presence in Sri Lanka’s automotive marketing industry.

The recognition highlights Zirateh’s efforts in an industry that is highly competitive and constantly changing. The agency’s involvement in the campaigns for Jetour, UFS Lanka and Tata PV has not always been well known, even though many consumers may already have come across this work online. The SLIM Digis achievement provides a platform to highlight this.

Commenting on the achievement, Zirateh CEO Damitha Senaratne said, ‘For us, winning three awards in our very first SLIM Digis submission is a significant accomplishment. For years, we have been developing our experience in the automotive industry, and audiences have already seen a large portion of our work online, even if they were unaware that Zirateh was behind it. We have an opportunity to highlight that work and the people who contributed to it thanks to these awards. We’re excited to assist more brands in achieving tangible business results through their social media.’

Zirateh has worked with clients in a number of markets over the last seven years, including the USA, UK, Singapore, and Australia. Its experience in the automotive sector includes working with vehicle dealerships and agents such as Jetour, IM Motors, XPENG LK, TATA PV, Dongfeng Sri Lanka, Perodua, Forthing Sri Lanka, Euro Motors (JAC Double Cabs), Wheels Lanka, and many others. Beyond automotive, the agency has also worked with brands such as PickMe, Uber, Timekeeper Global, Emerald, Signature, DIMO, Diamond Best Foods, etc. reflecting its experience across a range of industries.

For marketing managers and business leaders looking to strengthen their brands’ digital presence, Zirateh’s approach blends industry experience with a structured system designed to produce measurable results. The agency offers a guarantee of one million organic views within 90 days, or it continues working for the client free of charge until that target is achieved. This dedication demonstrates its emphasis on assisting brands in increasing their awareness and generating sales through organic social media performance.

The agency’s award-winning debut is indicative of its ongoing efforts in social media marketing and its emphasis on helping brands in converting digital attention into business impact. With a presence in multiple international markets and experience in the automotive industry, Zirateh hopes to increase this recognition by collaborating with other brands looking to strengthen their digital marketing initiatives.

Sri Lanka’s transhipment engine is fundamentally fuelled by Indian cargo, yet an asymmetrical regulatory wall restricts Indian logistics companies from fully participating in the island’s domestic market. While Colombo Port thrives as a primary maritime gateway for the Indian subcontinent, a protectionist legacy in Sri Lanka’s shipping and logistics sector creates a striking policy anomaly. Sri Lankan firms enjoy the freedom of 100% equity ownership in India’s logistics sector, but India and all other foreign nations face a strict 40% foreign equity cap for freight forwarding and shipping agencies in Sri Lanka.

This imbalance presents a structural bottleneck for an island striving to evolve from a basic transhipment stop into a comprehensive regional logistics hub. Without Indian manufacturing and consumer demand, Sri Lanka’s multi-billion-dollar port infrastructure would operate at a fraction of their capacity. Sri Lanka secures immense port revenues and economic stability because of the Indian economic output yet controls the cargo with protection for few operators discouraging investments.

Discussing the subject openly itself is not encouraged and is stopped or targeted by the oligopoly lobby of the Sri Lankan shipping and logistics industry. The Government of Sri Lanka has continuingly been misled by a few personnel who have direct access to the president’s office under any government for decades and stops legal reforms and modernisation.

The transhipment dependency and support for export growth

Sri Lanka’s maritime success is inextricably linked to its northern neighbour. The country sits strategically along the crucial East-West shipping lane, positioning it perfectly to handle the overflow and consolidation of South Asian trade. The Indian share: Approximately 70% to 75% of Colombo Port’s total transhipment volume consists of cargo originating from or destined for India. However, the location has served less over the years and due to lack of scalable choice Sri Lankan exporters and logistics companies are losing competitiveness rapidly under few oligopolistic agency houses controlling logistics technical making it more expensive for cargo movements as its strives competition

The ownership anomaly

Despite this heavy reliance on Indian trade to sustain its maritime and logistics ecosystem, Sri Lanka enforces a strict, protectionist regulatory framework. Under long-standing domestic laws, foreign ownership in shipping agencies and freight forwarding companies is restricted to a maximum of 40%, requiring a 60% local majority partner.

The paradox sharpens when looking across the Palk Strait. Under India’s liberalized foreign direct investment (FDI) guidelines, Sri Lankan companies can hold 100% equity ownership in Indian shipping, logistics, warehousing, and freight operations under the automatic route. Sri Lankan logistics giants have actively utilized this open-door policy, successfully scaling up vast networks within mainland India.

For Indian operators, however, setting up an end-to-end network in Sri Lanka remains legally impossible without diluting their equity and surrendering corporate control to local partners who rely on Indian cargo to run their business.

The risk of holding back liberalisation

Maintaining this regulatory asymmetry poses a severe long-term risk to Sri Lanka’s maritime and logistics dominance. While local oligo lobbyists push for the 40% cap since the 1970’s closed economic model the world has moved on, and all global hubs now have an open-door policy in the sector attracting billions of dollars as FDI. The Sri Lankan protection simultaneously deters global players from making deep capital commitments in value-added logistics infrastructure into Sri Lanka keeping it locked in as a regional transhipment port and affects its export competitiveness directly.

Furthermore, Colombo policy makers must remember, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very strategic since he took office in 2015 with a maritime and logistics strategy which is aggressively developing its own maritime and logistics infrastructure with fast reforms. The expansion of direct mainliner services to Indian ports, reforms in cabotage laws, and the construction of deep-water transhipment ports and new logistics centres within India. This means that dependence on Colombo is no longer a permanent necessity for Indian cargo and no Indian company will promote Sri Lanka as a logistics centre with a cap on freight forwarding and shipping.

If Sri Lanka wishes to anchor Indian cargo to its shores permanently, it must move beyond simply acting as a transhipment pitstop. Reciprocal liberalization allowing Indian and international players the corporate security of full ownership. This is the missing link required to transform Sri Lanka into a truly competitive, world-class Indian Ocean logistics hub. Not its location.

The Indian cargo operators in Colombo request the Indian Government’s attention and request its High Commissioner Santosh Jha to take up the serious anomaly in policy with the Government of Sri Lanka.

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group, has announced its 2026/27 winter schedule, introducing a new direct service between London Gatwick and Colombo, alongside increased frequencies to Bangkok and Delhi.

Running from October 2026 through to March 2027, the winter schedule strengthens connectivity across key global trade lanes, providing customers with greater capacity and more options for moving goods between Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America.

Effective 23 October, IAG Cargo will operate three weekly services between London Gatwick and Colombo, supporting the movement of key Sri Lankan exports including garments, perishables and rubber products, as well as tyres and components for the global automotive industry. The service will also connect customers to onward destinations across IAG Cargo’s wider international network, including Europe and the Americas.

Frequencies between London Gatwick and Bangkok will double from three to six flights per week, while services between London Heathrow and Delhi increased from 14 to 21 flights per week in September. The winter schedule also maintains extensive connectivity across the Atlantic, with IAG Cargo serving 29 destinations across North America from London, Dublin, Madrid and Barcelona, supporting the movement of goods across key transatlantic trade lanes.

IAG Cargo Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Camilo Garcia Cervera said: ‘Our winter schedule is focused on providing customers with the capacity and connectivity they need across key global trade lanes. The introduction of Colombo, alongside additional services to Bangkok and Delhi, strengthens trade connections between Asia and key markets worldwide. Combined with our extensive North American network and wider winter capacity, these changes give freight forwarders greater choice and flexibility when planning their shipments.’

The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, Dharmapala Weerakkody, met with the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed, on 18 October 2026 at the DCCI office in Gulshan, Dhaka, to explore avenues for strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The DCCI is a prominent private-sector business organisation in Bangladesh that represents businesses and entrepreneurs, particularly in Dhaka, and promotes trade, investment and industrial development through policy advocacy, business networking and public-private sector collaboration.

The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral trade and investment by creating opportunities for the business communities of both countries in pharmaceuticals, Information Technology (IT), renewable energy, logistics, tourism and other emerging sectors.

During the meeting, High Commissioner Weerakkody briefed the DCCI President on Sri Lanka Expo 2027, Sri Lanka’s premier international trade exhibition, scheduled to be held from 14 to 17 January 2027 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. He invited the DCCI to facilitate the participation of a business delegation at the exhibition, which will provide a platform for businesses from both countries to explore trade, investment and commercial partnerships.

The DCCI President welcomed the initiative and expressed a positive response to the proposed participation of a business delegation at Sri Lanka Expo 2027, highlighting the potential to strengthen business-to-business linkages and expand bilateral trade and investment.

Highlighting advances in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector in both countries, the DCCI President invited Sri Lanka to participate in the ‘Bangladesh AI Business Summit 2026’, organised by the DCCI in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) of Bangladesh. The Summit is scheduled to be held on 5 November 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.

The meeting also underscored the importance of strengthening direct engagement between the private sectors of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and identifying new areas of collaboration to support sustained economic growth and closer bilateral relations.

The Second Secretary of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Dhaka, Gayanga Dias, the DCCI Vice President Salem Sulaiman, and other senior DCCI officials were also present at the meeting.

Nirosh De Silva has been elected President of the Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association (JASTECA) for the 2026-2028 term at the Association’s 40th Annual General Meeting held recently.

His election marks a new chapter for JASTECA, with a renewed focus on innovation, Japanese management excellence, professional development, youth engagement and stronger collaboration between Sri Lanka and Japan.

Established in 1984, JASTECA plays an important role in strengthening bilateral relations by promoting Japanese management practices, technical knowledge, cultural understanding and business cooperation. The Association also supports the development of Sri Lankan professionals through training opportunities facilitated by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) in Japan.

Under the new leadership, JASTECA aims to further expand its contribution to Sri Lanka’s industrial and economic development by promoting the principles of Kaizen (continuous improvement), 5S, Lean Management and operational excellence, alongside digitalisation, environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, and sustainable business development.

A key priority will be to connect traditional Japanese management philosophies with modern business innovation and emerging technologies, enabling Sri Lankan organisations to enhance productivity, quality, competitiveness and sustainability in an increasingly challenging global business environment.

The new administration also intends to strengthen professional development opportunities for AOTS alumni, encourage greater participation by young professionals, and create stronger platforms for knowledge-sharing between industry leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and Japanese partners. Revitalising youth-focused initiatives and expanding corporate engagement are expected to be important elements of this effort.

JASTECA’s National Awards program will continue to provide a platform for recognising organisations and professionals that demonstrate excellence in Japanese management practices, particularly in 5S, Kaizen, corporate social responsibility and ESG. These initiatives are intended to encourage a culture of continuous improvement and recognise practical innovations that contribute to organisational and national development.

The Association will also seek to deepen its engagement with the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, AOTS, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japan Sri Lanka business council and other institutional partners to create further opportunities for technical cooperation, professional exchange and bilateral trade.

With a professional background spanning human resource development, and organisational development, De Silva brings extensive corporate experience to the presidency. His leadership is expected to place particular emphasis on strengthening institutional governance, enhancing member engagement and translating the Association’s objectives into practical, measurable outcomes.

The 2026-2028 term will focus on building a more connected and future-oriented JASTECA, one that preserves the enduring values of Japanese management while embracing innovation, sustainability and digital transformation.

Through closer cooperation between Sri Lankan and Japanese stakeholders, JASTECA aims to reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two countries and contribute to a more productive, innovative and globally competitive Sri Lankan economy.

As legal teams become increasingly global, the conversation around offshore talent is evolving. Access to experienced professionals remains important, but for law firms and in-house legal teams considering a distributed workforce, another question carries equal weight: how can confidential information remain protected when legal work is being handled across borders?

Teams Squared, the Singapore-headquartered Alternative Legal Service Provider (ALSP) connecting law firms and in-house legal teams across Australia, the UK, the US and beyond with top legal talent from emerging markets, has taken a significant step in addressing that question by achieving ISO/IEC 27001 certification. The internationally recognized standard for information security management was awarded to Teams Squared Pte Ltd by Universal Quality Standards Registrar (UQSR), following an independent audit of the company’s Information Security Management System (ISMS).

For Teams Squared, the certification applies directly to the way its remote talent model operates. Its scope covers the lifecycle of a consultant’s engagement, from recruitment, shortlisting, and onboarding through to placement and offboarding. Associated HR processes, remote work training, and the secure provisioning and de-provisioning of devices are also included. In preparing for certification, the company documented these activities in depth, establishing clear procedures around areas such as device procurement, access, provisioning and offboarding. The result is a consistent approach to managing security from the moment a consultant enters the Teams Squared ecosystem through to the conclusion of an engagement.

That structure is important because information security is not static. ISO 27001 certification is awarded following an independent assessment of an organization’s controls, policies and processes against the ISO standard’s requirements, and maintaining certification involves ongoing surveillance audits. By turning critical security procedures into documented and repeatable processes, rather than relying on informal practices, Teams Squared has created an ISMS that can continue to develop as its operations expand and security expectations change.

This is particularly relevant in legal services, where confidentiality is fundamental to the relationship between a firm and its clients. Legal professionals may have access to privileged communications, sensitive client matters, commercial agreements, and personal data. Whether those professionals are sitting in the same office as the rest of the team or working remotely from another jurisdiction, the responsibility to protect that information remains.

For law firm partners, legal team owners and senior management, the certification therefore provides something more tangible than an assurance that security is taken seriously. It provides an independently assessed, internationally recognized framework against which Teams Squared’s information security practices can be considered. It can also support the due diligence clients undertake when engaging external providers, providing a recognized reference point for security questionnaires and professional-indemnity requirements.

It also speaks to one of the recurring considerations around offshore engagement: maintaining control across geographically distributed teams. Teams Squared’s security practices are governed by a single certified management system across its operations, meaning the framework protecting client information does not change simply because a legal professional is based in a different location.

‘For law firms, security is not simply an IT concern. It is fundamental to the trust they place in every partner who has access to their systems and information. Achieving ISO 27001 certification demonstrates that our security practices are built around a recognized international standard, with the controls, processes and accountability to support that commitment. For our clients, particularly those working with us offshore, it provides additional assurance that distance does not mean a compromise in how their data and technology are protected,’ said Akil Fernando, IT Systems Lead at Teams Squared.

Founded in 2023, Teams Squared operates from offices in Singapore, Australia and Sri Lanka and serves a global client base by embedding remote legal professionals within international teams. As its footprint continues to grow, the company sees establishing internationally recognized operational standards as an important part of building a business capable of supporting leading professional services firms globally.

‘We’ve always believed that building a global company requires global standards. Achieving ISO 27001 certification is another step in building Teams Squared into an organization that the world’s leading professional services firms can trust with critical parts of their operations. Growth matters to us, but building the right infrastructure underneath that growth matters just as much,’ said Amresh Selvaskandan, Co-Founder and COO of Teams Squared.

For more information about Teams Squared and its services, visit www.teamsquared.io or contact [email protected].