Category: Daily Financial Times

Lankem Ceylon PLC, through its flagship coatings brand Robbialac, has announced a strategic partnership with Axalta Coating Systems, a global leader in high-performance automotive and industrial coatings. This collaboration marks a significant step forward for Sri Lanka’s automotive refinishing sector, uniting Robbialac’s long-established local leadership with Axalta’s world-class coating technologies.

For more than five decades, Robbialac has been a trusted name among Sri Lankan consumers, workshops, and industrial partners, known for delivering reliable, high-quality coating solutions. By joining forces with Axalta, Lankem will enhance its offering with advanced coating systems designed to elevate finish quality, increase productivity, and promote more sustainable industry practices.

‘This partnership represents a shared commitment to raising industry standards in Sri Lanka. Together, we will empower our customers to achieve superior finishes and greater efficiency,’ said Lankem Ceylon PLC Managing Director Suren Goonewardene.

Under the agreement, Lankem Robbialac becomes the exclusive distributor of Axalta automotive and industrial coatings in Sri Lanka. Customers will gain access to Axalta’s premium product portfolio, high-precision colour-matching technology, technical training and support through Robbialac’s islandwide distribution network, and coating systems engineered to reduce waste, enhance durability, and support sustainable operations.

‘Robbialac’s market trust and strong distribution presence make Lankem an ideal partner for Axalta in Sri Lanka,’ noted Axalta Coating Systems Country Manager – Sri Lanka Sanjeeva Weliwatta.

The partnership aligns with Lankem’s broader transformation strategy, which focuses on innovation, sustainability, and strategic alliances that uplift local industries and communities. As Sri Lanka’s automotive and industrial markets continue to modernise, the collaboration positions both Lankem and Axalta at the forefront of industry advancement, offering customers cutting-edge global technology backed by deep local expertise.

‘This partnership reflects our commitment to progress, precision, and responsible performance in Sri Lanka’s coatings industry,’ added Lankem Robbialac Chief Executive Officer Daminda Siriwardne.

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector received strong backing from Australia with High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth calling the launch of the new 12-month airport exit survey a ‘celebration of progress, partnership and potential’ that will reshape how the country markets and manages its tourism industry.

Speaking at the presentation of findings from the SLTDA-MDF survey recently, Duckworth said the data unlocks a new era of informed decision-making just as global travel patterns shift and competition intensifies.

The High Commissioner said the sector responsible for roughly 8% of GDP, over 200,000 jobs and a leading source of foreign exchange must adopt the same data-driven discipline used worldwide to remain relevant and profitable.

He praised the ‘remarkable variety’ of Sri Lanka’s tourism offerings showcased during the event and stressed that the country’s ability to understand the impact of these diverse experiences is central to extracting their full economic value. ‘This event shines a spotlight on Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and demonstrates the critical importance of evidence-based decision-making,’ he said.

Duckworth noted that modern tourism success hinges on sustainability, digital innovation and inclusive growth; principles that Australia and Sri Lanka are jointly pursuing.

‘These models ensure that tourism benefits, not just the industry but communities, small businesses and the wider economy,’ he added.

The High Commissioner underscored Australia’s long-standing commitment to Sri Lanka’s tourism development, noting that more than $ 50 million has been invested over the past decade to strengthen the sector.

This support spans tourism policy work, strategic planning, marketing, environmental sustainability and specialised training, particularly for first-time entrants to the industry.

Duckworth highlighted Australia’s Skills for Inclusive Growth Program, a $ 26 million initiative aimed at creating jobs and expanding opportunities for marginalised groups in hospitality and tourism, whilst strengthening provincial planning systems.

‘These efforts have already generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional tourism revenue, up skilled hundreds of workers and catalysed private investments that exceed Australia’s contribution,’ he explained.

Duckworth paid special tribute to the MDF, with which Australia has partnered since 2015 to drive sustainable tourism and improve industry resilience.

MDF’s contributions include developing Sri Lanka’s first carbon calculator, promoting renewable energy adoption, supporting climate-resilient business strategies and advancing research capabilities within the SLTDA.

He said one of MDF’s most important achievements is its support in conducting the landmark 12-month airport exit survey covering insights from over 16,000 travellers, which will help Sri Lanka establish its first Tourism Satellite Accounts, the global standard for measuring tourism’s total economic and social footprint.

Reinforcing the message shared by SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam and Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe earlier in the day, the High Commissioner said reliable data is essential for identifying new markets, diversifying products, improving service standards and strengthening repeat visitation.

‘These findings offer an in-depth look at the travel drivers and patterns shaping Sri Lanka’s tourism landscape. Data helps guide smarter policies, better investments and stronger long-term sector growth,’ he said.

He also welcomed the encouraging statistic that more than half of surveyed tourists plan to return to Sri Lanka, noting that such sentiment signalled strong potential for sustained growth if the country invests wisely in branding, product diversification and service improvements.

He added that Australia intends to remain a committed partner in Sri Lanka’s tourism journey. Following discussions with the Tourism Minister, he announced Australia will explore further support focused on effective tourism promotion and stronger environmental protection standards, two areas the Sri Lankan Government has identified as top priorities.

‘Australia has been proud to stand with Sri Lanka throughout this process. We will continue to stand with Sri Lanka into the future,’ the High Commissioner said.

Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI), which returned to positive territory in August and continued its upward trend for the next two months, remained steady in November 2025.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) yesterday said headline inflation (Y-o-Y) remained steady at 2.1% in November 2025, unchanged from to 2.1% in October 2025. However, inflation was up from 1.5% in September and 1.2% in August, in line with the Central Bank’s near-term projections. CBSL has an annual 5% inflation target.

Food inflation (Y-o-Y) decelerated to 3% in November, down from 3.5% in October, but up from 2.9% in September and 2% in August, while the non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 1.7% from 1.4% in October, 0.7% in September, and 0.8% in August.

On a month-on-month basis, the CCPI decreased by 0.23% in November, with the food category recording a 0.18% decrease and the non-food category decreasing 0.05%.

CBSL said core inflation (Y-o-Y), which reflects the underlying inflation trends in the economy, edged up to 2.4% in November, up from 2.2% in October and 2% in September 2025.

Latest projections show the continuation of gradual acceleration of inflation towards the target of 5% in the period ahead, with the support of appropriate policies, CBSL said.

Ambeon Capital PLC said its Board has approved the establishment of an Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP) to grant share options to senior management roles across the Ambeon Group, including executives holding permanent or fixed-term positions in its subsidiaries.

The company said the ESOP will allow eligible employees to purchase ordinary shares in Ambeon Capital, with the total number of shares to be issued capped at 10 million. If fully exercised, the allotment would represent about one percent of the company’s total issued shares.

Ambeon Capital currently has a stated capital of Rs. 1.053 billion and 1,002,724,815 shares in issue.

The granting of options under the ESOP will comply with Colombo Stock Exchange Listing Rules and remains subject to in-principle approval from the CSE and shareholder approval via a special resolution at a general meeting.

The public shareholding was 18.26% as of end-September 2025. ARRC Capital was the majority shareholder at 13.24%, followed by ATX Partners (9.77%) and Arcasia Investments and Trading (7.63).

The group reported Rs.10.10 net asset per share as of end-September 2025.

India batter Virat Kohli received plenty of plaudits after he scored his 52nd ODI century in a Player of the Match performance against South Africa on Sunday.

Kohli was at his brilliant best as he blasted 135 from just 120 deliveries in Ranchi and in the process help India to a 17-run triumph and a 1-0 series lead in the three-game ODI series against the Proteas.

The veteran shared a 136-run stand with former skipper Rohit Sharma (57) and looked in great touch as he reached triple figures for the first time in 50-over cricket since his superb unbeaten century against Pakistan at the ICC Champions Trophy in February.

The innings caught the eye of India Batting Coach Sitanshu Kotak who admitted it was an honour to watch the 37-year-old still at the top of his game.

‘It was an outstanding knock, obviously. He batted really well, not just in the one-day format but all the formats he has done well,’ Kotak said of Kohli.

‘This was the 52nd ODI hundred he got, so he’s a thoroughly outstanding player, and he took responsibility, and the way he batted was very good.’

The century also further raised the question as to whether Kohli and Rohit would continue to ply their trade at ODI level, with the hope of continuing on until the next edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027.

Rohit Sharma broke the record for the most sixes hit in men’s one-day internationals as India edged South Africa by 17 runs in the opening game of their series in Ranchi.

After being asked to bat, India posted 349-8 with Virat Kohli hitting a record-extending 52nd ODI century with a brilliantly paced 135 off 120 balls.

He shared 136 with Rohit, who made 57 off 51 balls, for the second wicket.

Rohit, who already held the record for the most sixes across formats in international cricket (now 642), hit three sixes to overtake Shahid Afridi’s 15-year record of 351 ODI maximums.

India were 161-2 in the 22nd over when the former captain was dismissed and run-scoring became more difficult in the middle overs but the hosts were superbly marshalled by Kohli.

He also shared 76 with stand-in captain KL Rahul, who then took over when Kohli was dismissed, to hit 60 off 56 balls.

South Africa slipped to 11-3 in reply and 130-5 but Matthew Breetzke (72 off 80) and Marco Jansen (70 off 39) gave them hope with a 97-run stand.

Both were dismissed in the 34th over by Kuldeep Yadav and South Africa’s hopes seemed over at 228-7.

However, Corbin Bosch (67 off 51) put on partnerships with Prenelan Subrayen and Nandre Burger, who both made 17, to leave the Proteas needing 37 from 18 balls.

Bosch was farming the strike and turning down singles and left 18 from the final over, but he skied the second ball from Prasidh Krishna to cover.

The second game in the three-match series takes place on Wednesday.

Opposition lawmakers yesterday staged a walkout accusing the Government of refusing to allow a formal discussion on the policy response needed to manage the unfolding disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah which left over 350 dead, 360 missing and 1.1 million people affected by landslides and flooding.

The MPs said they would rather assist affected communities than sit through proceedings that, in their view, avoided the central issue of the crisis.

Raising the matter in the chamber before the walkout, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Kabir Hashim said the scale of devastation could have been significantly reduced had the Government acted on advance warnings.

He said both the Meteorology Department and the Irrigation Department had issued alerts on 12 November of the likelihood of severe weather and high-risk conditions in multiple districts. According to him, these warnings were neither meaningfully considered nor translated into precautionary measures.

Hashim said past practice in reservoir management required water to be released gradually when heavy rainfall was forecast.

Instead, he argued, delays forced authorities to open spill gates suddenly, contributing to major flooding downstream. Referring to earlier emergencies, he said Parliament had previously discussed similar risks and that institutional memory should have guided decisions ahead of the current crisis.

The MP claimed that had water releases been phased from mid-November, most lives lost could have been saved. He argued that Parliament should have debated these warnings in advance, drawing on technical expertise that could have shaped a timely response.

When the Speaker proceeded to the next item on the agenda without accommodating the request for a discussion, the Opposition announced its decision to leave the chamber.

Opposition members said the Government had failed to recognise the urgency of the situation and that keeping the matter off the Parliamentary agenda reflected a disregard for preventive action.

They maintained that the disaster’s impact was worsened by avoidable delays and a lack of coordinated decision-making despite clear forecasts.

The Board of Investment (BOI) yesterday confirmed that all Free Trade Zones (FTZs) have resumed near-full operations, with only limited disruptions reported in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. ‘We have successfully kept the impact to a minimum. Only the Thulhiriya zone and a single factory in the Polgahawela zone experienced notable damage,’ BOI Chairman Arjuna Herath told the Daily FT.

He added that BOI teams worked around the clock to restore electricity and water supply in affected areas, ensuring factories could resume operations as quickly as possible.

The Chairman added that the BOI continues to monitor conditions closely as factories work through logistical challenges arising from the adverse weather.

BOI Director General Renuka Weerakone noted that while overall attendance has dropped due to difficulties in accessing work sites, particularly where certain roads remain partially submerged; factory operations have not been halted. She added that some companies have introduced work-from-home (WFH) flexible arrangements, where feasible to ensure business continuity. (CdeS)

The Management Club (TMC) Colombo chapter has concluded its 3rd Members’ Speak event titled; ‘Eat the Soup! Project Management for Organisational Survival, Growth and Success’ on 13 November 2025 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, drawing an audience of professionals and entrepreneurs eager to strengthen their understanding of project management.

TMC Colombo Chairperson Duneeshya Bogoda, highlighted the organisation’s mission of fostering professional growth through knowledge, networking opportunities and member engagement. She also announced two major events planned for 2025-‘The Way Forward’ and ‘TMC Christmas Night.’

TMC Vice Chairman Samitha Senevirathne, compered the event with his signature engaging style. He also introduced the theme, describing it as a thought-provoking and relatable concept-much like titles such as; Rich Dad Poor Dad and Who Moved My Cheese. His introduction set the tone for a session that encouraged participants to see project management through a creative and practical lens. The keynote speaker, Dr. Madhu Fernando, a seasoned project management expert with over 30 years of experience, captivated the audience with her unique approach of explaining project management through the process of preparing a soup. She linked each step-identifying who will ‘eat’ the soup, gathering and preparing ingredients, planning, execution, and serving-to core project management principles such as understanding stakeholder needs, planning, teamwork, resource allocation and delivering results. Dr. Fernando emphasised that effective project management is essential for organisational survival and growth across all sectors. Poorly managed projects, she noted, are similar to ‘burnt soup’-a result of inadequate planning, weak communication and insufficient monitoring.

Industry professionals in the calibre of S.A. Paulraj, Nihal Premachandra praised the session, commending the freshness of the metaphor and the clarity of delivery. Dr. Saliya Balasooriya, project Chairperson of the Members Speak initiative, thanked the speaker and audience for their active participation and noted the relevance of addressing Sri Lanka’s project delivery challenges. The event concluded successfully, reinforcing TMC Colombo’s commitment to advancing professional excellence and meaningful learning experiences.

New TMC members of Colombo

Vinita Shenoy is the Principal of a leading International School in Colombo (Gateway College) and believes in ‘Growing a team’. Skilled in being a catalyst to team members, friends, and others to enhance themselves. She has dabbled in various Diplomas in Computer Studies, Human Rights and Ikebana (Sogetsu School). She holds Degrees in Commerce, Teaching Technology in addition to an MBA in Human Resources. Vinita has been in the Education field for over four decades, both in India and Sri Lanka. Her role encompasses lecturing, administration, teacher training, as well as being a team player in curriculum enhancement. She has been invited to be a panellist on several education-related forums locally as well as internationally.

Motivista Ltd., CEO Lakisha Perera brings over a decade of corporate experience. She holds dual degrees BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science and BA (Hons) in Business, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chichester (UK). She is also a qualified Chartered Marketer. Lakisha is an active member of Lions International and the BNI Elite Chapter, currently serving as Zone Chairperson for Lions District 306 D7 and Social Media Coordinator for BNI Elite. Notably, she is a former Leo District President of 306 C2 Sri Lanka (2023/24) and was honoured as ‘Leo of the World’ (2021/22).

Kamaya Perera is a Partner at KPMG Sri Lanka and President of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – Sri Lanka Branch. She serves as the head of Management Consulting and Technology, the Deputy Head of Advisory and People, Performance and Culture, leads Integration and Separation Advisory, and Executive Search, at KPMG. Kamaya also heads the National Development Assistance Sector, driving socio-economic initiatives. With 22+ years of experience across government and private sectors, she is an ACA, FCMA (UK), CPA (Australia), CGMA, and FCMI. She holds a Master’s in Business Economics from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura and a BSc (Hons) in Business from the Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

New TMC members of Mount Lavinia

Chandika Jayawardane, a sales and marketing professional with over 25 years of management experience in the insurance and pharmaceutical sectors, joined TMC Mount Lavinia in October 2025. He currently serves as Senior Manager – Corporate Accounts at Ceylinco General Insurance Ltd. Chandika holds an MBA from Suffolk University, UK, and a Professional Diploma in Marketing (UK).

Abdul Careem, an accomplished entrepreneur and strategic marketing professional, also joined the chapter in October 2025. With over three decades of experience-including 24 years as a successful entrepreneur-he is recognised for his pioneering work in Neuromarketing and Behavioural Neuroscience. Careem is the Brand Ambassador for The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM UK) in Sri Lanka and continues to inspire professionals through his innovative approach to business and leadership.