Category: Daily Financial Times

John Keells CG Auto (JKCG) yesterday issued a statement updating its customers and stakeholders on the ongoing proceedings before the Court of Appeal regarding the detention of certain consignments of BYD vehicles by Sri Lanka Customs.

Following is the full statement.

‘Further to the previous Writ Application, JKCG filed two further Writ Applications on 26 September 2025 and 2 October 2025 in the Court of Appeal, challenging the continued detention of an additional 631 electric vehicles by Sri Lanka Customs. These consignments included BYD ATTO 1 and BYD ATTO 2, among other models.

Being conscious of the inconvenience caused to our existing and prospective customers by the undue delay in releasing these detained vehicles, JKCG previously offered Corporate Guarantees for certain categories of vehicles and Bank Guarantees for the others, to account for the difference in additional duties, allegedly due according to Sri Lanka Customs. Whilst this solution was initially not accepted by Sri Lanka Customs, on the basis of the further affidavits and the submissions made by Counsel on behalf of JKCG, we wish to inform that Customs agreed in Court, on 11 November 2025, to release the detained vehicles.

We reiterate that the globally accepted norm for vehicle clearance is for Customs to rely on the Manufacturer’s Certificate, while any further verification, where required, should be performed in an internationally accredited motor laboratory to ensure accuracy, credibility, and consistency.

With reference to the delay in testing of the motor vehicles in order to arrive at a sustainable and expeditious resolution to this matter, JKCG had previously submitted an Affidavit to the Court confirming that it is willing to provide the necessary technical equipment and scanning machines requested by Sri Lanka Customs to verify the motor power of the electric vehicles. Further to this, upon the request of Customs, on 6 November 2025, JKCG made available a Vehicle Diagnostics Service (VDS) to test the motor power of the vehicles. The VDS is a specialised diagnostic tool that connects to the vehicle through the onboard diagnostics (OBD) port to perform comprehensive checks and software verification. However, Customs did not conduct any testing on this date. Sri Lanka Customs undertook, today, to notify the Court of the next steps with regard to the testing.

JKCG understands the inconvenience this situation has caused our valued customers, and we remain fully committed to supporting them through this period. We remain deeply appreciative of their continued patience and understanding as we work towards a fair and lasting resolution.

We note the positive outcome of the decision of Customs to allow the release of the presently detained vehicles, under the agreed guarantee terms, which will allow us to fulfil our obligations to our customers. We will continue to work towards a more sustainable resolution in engagement with the authorities. We wish to thank all our stakeholders, and particularly our customers, for their continued trust, patience, and understanding.’

Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri yesterday described the 2026 Budget as ‘a credible and a doable plan’ that balances fiscal discipline with growth ambition.

Although Sri Lanka’s fiscal space remains severely constrained, he said consistent reforms and adherence to the IMF program can sustain the country’s gradual recovery and rebuild international confidence.

Speaking at the Daily FT-Colombo University Alumni Association post-Budget forum panel discussion, Thewarathanthri said the 2026 Budget reflects ‘a realistic path forward’ for Sri Lanka, amidst continuing efforts to stabilise public finances.

‘This is a doable Budget. There’s no immediate risk to the IMF program and maintaining that consistency is critical for regaining market access,’ he pointed out.

He said the revenue-to-GDP ratio target of 15-15.2% for 2026 was ‘conservative and achievable’, especially with the reintroduction of vehicle imports expected to boost Customs revenue significantly.

Highlighting the magnitude of fiscal challenge, Thewarathanthri pointed out that the country’s interest-to-revenue ratio at around 57%, which is among the five highest in the world. ‘The Government’s revenue is around $ 4.5 billion, recurring expenditure including Aswesuma welfare payments and pensions amounts to $ 2.6 billion and annual interest payments also total $ 2.6 billion. That means more than half of all Government revenue is spent on interest payments alone,’ he said, underscoring the limited fiscal room available for new spending or stimulus.

Despite the constraints, Thewarathanthri noted that Sri Lanka has achieved a modest credit ratings upgrade and is maintaining stability under the IMF program, although market access remains closed.

On growth, he said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s 7% GDP target likely refers to nominal growth, while a real growth range of 2-5% is a more realistic outcome for 2026.

He attributed this to the fact that key sectors such as tourism and construction have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, but expressed confidence that sustained recovery across these industries could push growth closer to 5% next year.

Thewarathanthri also projected that inflation would average around 3-4% in 2026, aligning with the Central Bank’s 5% target. ‘Maintaining these targets is vital for macroeconomic stability and investor confidence.

Meeting both the revenue and inflation targets will determine how much stability the economy can sustain. These are the anchor points for 2026,’ he said.

Beyond fiscal and monetary management, Thewarathanthri said the Budget’s commitment to structural reforms was a key positive.

He highlighted initiatives such as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, trade facilitation and the National Single Window System, the digital NIC initiative, the Digital Economy Blueprint (EDP) and commitments to upgrade port and logistics infrastructure.

‘These reforms may not be immediate market drivers, but they are the building blocks of long-term growth. They will modernise how Sri Lanka does business and attract investors who value transparency and efficiency,’ he explained.

Thewarathanthri described the overall economic outlook as ‘cautiously optimistic.’

‘The Government appears to be on course and committed to the IMF program. That consistency of maintaining reforms, improving revenue and strengthening institutions is critical for Sri Lanka’s recovery and long-term credibility,’ he said.

He stressed that regaining international market access will take time, but sustained progress on reforms and fiscal consolidation would gradually help restore investor confidence and lower borrowing costs.

McLaren’s Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to surge 24 points clear in the Formula One championship on Sunday, while teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri finished fifth after being penalised for causing a collision.

Mercedes’s teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli hung on for a career-best second place, with Max Verstappen an astonishing third for Red Bull after starting from the pit lane.

Verstappen’s performance was all the more impressive after the four-time world champion, who won from 17th at Interlagos last year, suffered an early slow puncture and had to fight back from 18th.

‘Crazy race,’ said Norris of his second successive win and seventh of the season after snatching the championship lead from Piastri in Mexico last month.

‘To be honest, I don’t think we were the quickest today, but I’m glad to take home the win.

‘It’s a great win. But seeing how quick Max was, it’s disappointing we were not quicker.’

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Budget 2026, presented on 7 November, signals a clear shift from crisis management to strategic economic transformation. The main message is that fiscal consolidation and inclusive development are not opposing priorities but essential, interconnected elements for long-term national resilience.

The Budget successfully navigates the challenging dual mandate of meeting international fiscal requirements (IMF targets) while urgently addressing domestic welfare and infrastructure needs. Macroeconomic targets are clear: the deficit is set at 5.2% of GDP, and the debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to fall to 95% by 2026, anchoring stability. Simultaneously, growth is aggressively targeted at 7% annually through investment and productivity-led expansion.

The balance is evident in the allocations: major investments in digital infrastructure, healthcare, and education lay the groundwork for a knowledge economy, while significant financial packages for housing, rural roads, and public servant benefits directly inject relief and opportunity into the grassroots economy. By linking fiscal discipline with radical reforms-such as anti-corruption measures and digital governance-the budget attempts to build a moral and financial environment conducive to sustained, equitable prosperity.

Anchoring stability: Fiscal discipline and macroeconomic ambition

The Budget 2026 fundamentally commits to a stable fiscal trajectory, essential for maintaining investor confidence and concluding the nation’s debt restructuring efforts. This section focuses on the rigorous fiscal targets and revenue-enhancing reforms designed to ensure long-term sustainability.

The continuation of the IMF-backed fiscal consolidation program is non-negotiable, targeting a primary surplus and reducing the Debt-to-GDP ratio to 95% by 2026, with a further ambitious reduction to 87% by 2030. Revenue mobilisation is central to this effort, with state revenue expected to climb to 15.3% of GDP by 2026.

Key tax reforms are introduced for clarity and compliance:

The Social Security Contribution Levy is now charged on vehicles at the import/manufacture/sale stage, simplifying collection.

The Special Commodity Levy on imported coconut and palm oil is replaced with the standard VAT structure, standardising the tax environment.

Furthermore, the introduction of a competitive bidding system for Government procurement alongside the launch of E-procurement and digital asset management systems in 2026 is a critical structural reform. These measures are not just cost-saving; they are vital anti-corruption tools that eliminate irregularities and ensure that public funds are utilised efficiently, thereby enhancing the productivity of public expenditure. This disciplined financial framework provides the platform for the Government to launch its growth initiatives.

The digital leap: Productivity, governance, and future growth

A cornerstone of the 2026 Budget is the realisation that long-term growth is inextricably linked to technological modernisation and institutional efficiency. The proposed digital reforms are designed to eliminate systemic corruption, improve service delivery, and create a high-value Virtual Economic Zone.

Allocations in this area focus on creating a streamlined, transparent Government

apparatus.

The shift to fully digital Government payments is pivotal, reinforced by eliminating fees for QR transactions below Rs. 5,000 to drive mass adoption. The commitment to issuing Digital ID cards by March 2026 provides the crucial underlying technology for efficient, targeted service delivery and resource management.

Crucially, investment is channelled into innovation and connectivity:

The establishment of a Virtual Economic Zone is aimed at attracting investment in high-tech and innovation sectors.

A five-year tax concession for digital communication towers and the installation of 100 new telecom towers nationwide directly address the need for robust digital infrastructure across the island.

The allocation of Rs. 750 million for AI Service Centres indicates an intent to integrate cutting-edge technology into public services, a necessary step for boosting national productivity.

This digital focus is a clear growth accelerator, positioning Sri Lanka’s economy for modern, export-oriented services and laying the foundation for a significant increase in overall factor productivity.

Investing in human capital: Health, education, and social equity

The Budget achieves its development mandate through substantial, targeted allocations to strengthen the social safety net and build future human capital. By ensuring social protection, the Government secures the social license required for structural economic reform.

Key allocations for human development include:

Health: Rs. 11 billion for medical faculties in State universities and Rs. 4.2 billion for the Suwasariya Ambulance Service. The planned Rs. 1.5 billion investment in nationwide Primary Healthcare Centres aims to decentralise and improve health outcomes.

Welfare: The Budget offers direct relief through welfare programs, notably a monthly Rs. 10,000 allowance for thalassaemia patients. Furthermore, Rs. 500 million is allocated for day-care centres for children with disabilities, emphasising inclusive development.

Employment equity: The reservation of 3% of all State recruitments for persons with disabilities institutionalises equity within the public sector.

Furthermore, the increase in the Mahapola Scholarship by

Rs. 2,500 provides direct support to students, reinforcing access to higher education, a fundamental pillar of future economic productivity. These measures represent a clear developmental focus that protects the vulnerable and invests in the long-term quality of the national workforce, ensuring that the fruits of economic growth are shared equitably.

President Dissanayake’s Budget 2026 is a pragmatic and ambitious blueprint that successfully balances the imperatives of Economic Growth and Development. It moves beyond the short-term transactional politics of past budgets by embedding core values-fiscal discipline, anti-corruption, and equity-into the nation’s financial architecture

Revitalising core economic sectors: Infrastructure and production

To ensure the projected 7% economic growth is realised, the Budget commits significant capital to core production and connectivity sectors. This investment focuses on both massive long-term projects and grassroots, productivity-boosting initiatives.

1. Infrastructure as a growth catalyst:

Roads: A total of Rs. 34.2 billion is allocated for road development, including funds to accelerate key segments of the Central Expressway and complete land acquisition for the Ruwanpura and Kurunegala-Dambulla expressways. This massive commitment to highways, alongside Rs. 24 billion for rural road construction and Rs. 2.5 billion for rural bridges, streamlines logistics, reduces costs, and connects rural production to national markets.

Public transport: Funding includes Rs. 3.6 billion for 600 new SLTB long-distance buses and Rs. 3.3 billion to purchase five new Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) for Sri Lanka Railways, improving efficiency and reliability for workers.

2. Boosting local production:

Agriculture and irrigation: Rs. 91.7 billion is allocated for the restoration of irrigation infrastructure, including major reservoirs such as Senanayake Samudraya and Gal Oya.

The commitment of Rs. 5 billion for the Lower Malwathu Oya Multipurpose Project, alongside targeted funding for cattle and swine breeding (aiming for 75% self-sufficiency by 2030), directly boosts primary sector output and reduces import dependency.

These investments are critical levers that translate fiscal stability into tangible economic output, generating jobs and securing the foundational requirements for national growth.

Socio-economic upliftment: Wages, housing, and public service reform

The final key element of the balanced Budget is its direct impact on citizen welfare and the structural improvement of public services-a critical step in enhancing overall governance and social harmony.

1. Public sector morale and efficiency:

A collective Rs. 130 billion (Rs. 110 billion for salary revisions, Rs. 20 billion for pension revisions) provides a significant financial boost to public servants, alongside the permanent appointment of long-serving contract staff.

Increases to the distress loan limit (to Rs. 400,000) and the railway gatekeeper allowance (doubled to Rs. 15,000) directly address livelihood and morale issues.

The planned recruitment of 75,000 new public servants in technical, revenue, and law enforcement roles aims to address critical capacity gaps and make the public service more effective.

2. Housing and grassroots relief:

A combined Rs. 10.2 billion is dedicated to the ‘A Place of Your Own – A Beautiful Life’ program for low-income families, complementing the Rs. 15 billion Urban Regeneration Project in Colombo suburbs.

Crucially, the estate workers’ daily wage is increased from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,750 by January 2026, addressing a long-standing issue of low wages for a highly vulnerable segment of the population.

These focused social and structural reforms ensure that the stabilisation gains are not achieved at the expense of the working class but are instead utilised to foster a more inclusive and socially resilient economic environment.

This Budget is the pivot from rescue to resurgence. Fiscal discipline is now the fuel, not the burden, driving a decisive shift toward digitalisation and equitable growth. It is a blueprint that trades austerity for lasting, productive prosperity

Conclusion: A blueprint for resilient and inclusive prosperity

President Dissanayake’s Budget 2026 is a pragmatic and ambitious blueprint that successfully balances the imperatives of Economic Growth and Development. It moves beyond the short-term transactional politics of past budgets by embedding core values-fiscal discipline, anti-corruption, and equity-into the nation’s

financial architecture. The simultaneous commitment to a 7% growth target via major infrastructure and digital transformation, alongside deep, structural investments in health, education, and social welfare, demonstrates a coherent strategy. This budget understands that a healthy, educated, and well-connected populace is the greatest asset for a production-led economy.

By locking in fiscal consolidation while redirecting expenditure toward high-impact, productivity-enhancing projects, the Government aims not only to recover the economic output lost during the crisis but also to place Sri Lanka on a fundamentally stronger, more resilient, and technology-driven path. Its success will now depend entirely on efficient, transparent execution-a challenge the Budget seeks to mitigate through its own commitment to digital governance and zero tolerance for corruption. In short, along with the 2026 Budget, President AKD is heading in the right direction to reach ‘A thriving Nation and a Beautiful Life’.

Sampath Bank PLC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ideal Motors Ltd., an authorised distributor of Mahindra vehicles in Sri Lanka. The partnership aims to offer customers enhanced vehicle financing solutions and exclusive benefits that make vehicle ownership more affordable and convenient.

Through this collaboration, Sampath Bank will extend a range of financial privileges to customers purchasing Mahindra vehicles from Ideal Motors. These include a 0.5% per annum reduction in the published leasing interest rates, loans to cover vehicle insurance premiums with no interest if settled within two months, and Sampath Credit Cards with no joining fee, enabling customers to pay their insurance premiums at 0% interest for up to 12 months.

Sampath Bank Chief Operating Officer Deepal De Silva said, ‘This partnership represents our commitment to delivering practical financial solutions that support our customers’ lifestyle aspirations. The collaboration with Ideal Motors enables us to offer more accessible financing and flexible repayment options, empowering individuals and businesses to make confident vehicle ownership decisions. It also reflects our broader vision of being a trusted financial partner that continuously anticipates and responds to customer needs.’

Ideal Motors Ltd., Director – Legal and Corporate Affairs Nimisha Welgama said, ‘We are pleased to collaborate with Sampath Bank to offer customers a selection of Mahindra vehicles complemented by attractive financing options, enhancing both value and the overall ownership experience.’

The MoU between Sampath Bank and Ideal Motors brings together two trusted Sri Lankan entities, both deeply committed to delivering value-driven, customer-focused solutions that contribute to the country’s economic progress.

The 25th National Sales Awards Grand Finale 2025 was honoured by the presence Chairman and Managing Director of a leading organisation Deepal Abeywickrema who attended the event as the Chief Guest.

During his inspiring address, Abeywickrema shared insights from his remarkable career journey, reflecting on the values and principles that guided his path to leadership. In addition to shaping numerous global success stories, one of his boldest and most visionary achievements was launching Nescafé Out-of-Home Vending Solutions in Sri Lanka in 1998 – a pioneering move that has since evolved into a thriving business model in the market.

He also said, ‘Throughout my own career, I’ve learned that purpose, curiosity, and courage are the true game-changers. It’s about defining your purpose through bold dreams, building your personal brand with unwavering integrity, and embracing a mindset of continuous learning and growth.

‘I am immensely proud to celebrate the true Ambassadors of Sales – the Force Behind the Figures.’

His reflections went beyond personal milestones, serving as a source of inspiration for the next generation of leaders in sales and marketing.

Selyn Business Development Director Selyna Peiris yesterday reminded that while the 2026 Budget allocates a record Rs. 80 billion for SMEs, most of it risks being underutilised due to deep structural and procedural barriers that prevent small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – particularly youth and women-led ventures outside Colombo from accessing promised support.

She urged policymakers to focus on ‘implementation, not intention’ if Sri Lanka is to prevent SMEs from falling back into the informal economy.

Sharing insights at the Daily FT-Colombo University Alumni Association post-Budget panel discussion, she welcomed the continuity in macroeconomic direction and the inclusion of the SME voice in national Budget discussions, but said the real test lies in execution.

‘The problem is not the allocation, it’s the absorption. It’s that space between what’s promised and what’s accessed, this ‘no man’s land’ where Sri Lankan SMEs are falling through the cracks,’ she said.

The 2026 Budget earmarks Rs. 80 billion for SME development, majority of it targeted toward agriculture and related industries. However, Peiris highlighted that last year’s performance underscores a worrying pattern of underutilisation.

‘Take the Rs. 6 billion in low-interest SME loans at 8% interest, but only Rs. 2.5 billion was even requested and just Rs. 458 million was disbursed. The Rs. 15 billion credit guarantee scheme saw just Rs. 1 billion used. That gap between what’s allocated and what actually reaches entrepreneurs is where the system is failing.’

She noted that this implementation gap particularly hurts women, youth and rural entrepreneurs, who make up the backbone of the SME sector, but remain disconnected from information networks and financial institutions.

Peiris stressed that the SME ecosystem is highly uneven, with vast differences in access and opportunity between micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

‘There’s no level playing field and in this uncertainty, fear is setting in. That fear is driving many SMEs back into the cash economy. It’s not a comfortable truth, but it’s happening,’ she added.

Colombo’s beloved Green Cabin marked the beginning of the 2025 Christmas season in true tradition, hosting its annual Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony at the brand’s recently refurbished Colpetty outlet. The event brought together friends of the brand, loyal patrons, and long-standing partners of the iconic eatery to celebrate both the spirit of Christmas and the dawn of a new chapter for one of Sri Lanka’s oldest restaurant and bakery chains.

Guests at the ceremony took part in the time-honoured ritual of Christmas cake mixing, a festive prelude to the season ahead. Bowls of candied peel, cherries, and nuts were folded into aromatic spices and aged spirits, symbolising the start of the Christmas season. These very same confections will soon be available across all Green Cabin outlets.

Green Cabin’s Managing Director Chirath Devasurendra, a fifth-generation family member said, ‘Green Cabin has always been more than a restaurant to many of us – we see it as part of Sri Lanka’s shared history and our greater community. This refurbishment represents our commitment to preserving that legacy while reimagining it for the future. As we welcome the season, we also welcome our guests to rediscover Green Cabin familiar, yet refreshingly new.’

Now, with its newly revamped outlet in Colpetty, the brand continues to honour its past while embracing a modern transformation that reflects the evolving tastes of today’s diners.

The refurbished Colpetty outlet retains the warmth and authenticity of the brand’s heritage but introduces a more contemporary design language that invites both loyal customers and a new generation of guests to reconnect.

With the rich aroma of Christmas cake in the air and the spirit of renewal guiding its path, Green Cabin’s latest chapter reminds us why some traditions, when nurtured with care and reinvention, never fade.

Prof. Philip Kotler, widely regarded as the Father of Modern Marketing, has spent decades helping the world think beyond merely ‘selling more stuff.’ From his early 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to the later 7Ps, he repeatedly refined the marketing toolkit to suit the realities of each era. Now, in a recent conversation with Sri Lankan veteran marketer Denzil Perera during his visit to Prof. Kotler in Illinois, Chicago, Kotler outlined a fresh, values-driven evolution of his thinking: a 6Ps framework.

This new model doesn’t discard the classic Ps. Instead, it lifts marketing out of its narrow commercial lane and places it inside a broader human, social, and planetary context. Kotler’s view is simple: in an age of climate anxiety, social fragmentation, hyper-competition, and stakeholder capitalism, marketing must serve a higher order of purpose. That’s why his 6Ps begin not with product or promotion, but with something more fundamental.

1.Purpose

Kotler’s first and most important P is Purpose. ‘Every organisation, brand, or person needs to have a purpose,’ he emphasised.

This is more than a mission statement framed in a boardroom. Purpose answers why we exist beyond profit. Kotler has long admired companies like Unilever, whose leadership openly declared that, ‘brands with purpose grow.’ By citing the Unilever global leadership example, he is underlining that purpose is not a decorative slogan but a strategic engine: it aligns employees, attracts customers who share values, and gives the organisation a moral north star.

In the age of conscious consumers, social media scrutiny, and Gen Z’s demand for authenticity, purpose becomes the first filter. If the ‘why’ is weak, the rest of the marketing plan is just noise.

2.People

The second P is People. Here Kotler is making an old truth newly urgent: if you don’t take care of your people, they won’t take care of your customers.

He told Perera that organisations often leap straight to customer experience without first building employee experience. But satisfied, respected, fairly treated employees become brand ambassadors automatically. In service economies-banking, hospitality, education, healthcare-this is especially true. Marketing, therefore, is not only an external activity; it is an internal culture project.

Kotler’s repositioning of ‘People’ also widens the circle: not just employees, but customers, partners, communities, and in many cases even regulators. Marketing must ask, ‘What is the human impact of our decisions?’

3.Partnerships

The third P, Partnerships, reflects a major shift in the way modern markets behave. Kotler pointed out that, in today’s world, ‘instead of competing, we should collaborate.’

This is where the idea of co-petition (sometimes phrased as ‘cooperation is better than pure competition’) comes in. When two organisations recognise that working together creates a bigger pie than fighting over the same slice, long-term value emerges. Partnerships can be with suppliers, distributors, universities, NGOs, technology platforms, or even former competitors.

Kotler stressed that partnerships begin with a win-win mindset. Without that, alliances become short-term and transactional. With it, partnerships become engines of innovation, market access, and even social impact. For emerging markets like Sri Lanka-where Perera plays a key role in connecting global and local marketing thought-this principle is especially powerful: collaboration accelerates development.

4.Peace

The fourth P is strikingly human: Peace. Kotler shared with Perera an insight he picked up from a businessman who said that ‘people are productive when they are at peace.’ That peace operates at multiple levels:

1.Peace within the organisation – a culture without toxic politics, fear, or instability.

2.Peace in the marketplace and society – businesses thrive in stable, peaceful environments.

3.Peace of mind for customers – the ultimate goal of marketing is not just to sell, but to reduce anxiety, friction, confusion, and risk for the customer.

This is a profound expansion of marketing’s purpose. Marketing, in Kotler’s view, should not create insecurity or FOMO just to drive sales; it should create trust, reassurance, and long-term relationships. A peaceful world is good for business-and businesses have a role in creating that peace through ethical communication, fair treatment, and social responsibility.

5.Planet

The fifth P is Planet. Kotler is blunt about this: consumption is rising, populations are growing, and yet businesses often do not count the environmental externalities of their value creation process. That means pollution, carbon, waste, and resource depletion are treated as ‘someone else’s problem.’ In the 6Ps framework, that is no longer acceptable.

Organisations must design for sustainability-responsible sourcing, circularity, reduced packaging, greener logistics-while consumers must become mindful of what they consume and how they consume it. Marketing, therefore, must stop glorifying endless consumption and start educating, nudging, and offering sustainable alternatives.

This P is also a warning: brands that ignore the planet will lose relevance, regulation will catch up, and younger consumers will move away. Planet is now part of the value proposition.

6.Prosperity

The final P is Prosperity-not ‘Profit’ in the narrow, shareholder-first sense, but shared, sustained prosperity.

Kotler told Perera that real prosperity is only possible after the first five Ps are in place. If the organisation has a clear purpose, cares for its people, builds genuine partnerships, contributes to peace, and protects the planet, then the prosperity that comes is healthier, more distributed, and more resilient.

In such a system, shareholders remain important-but not the most important, and not the only voice. Employees, customers, communities, and the environment all become stakeholders. Prosperity becomes a collective outcome, not an individual extraction.

Why this 6Ps framework matters now

This new 6Ps model from Prof. Kotler is, in many ways, a culmination of his lifelong effort to humanise marketing. Where the original 4Ps helped marketers do marketing, the 6Ps help organisations be responsible, relevant, and future-fit.

From tactics to philosophy – It moves marketing from tools to values.

From selling to serving – It reframes the marketer as a steward of relationships and the environment.

From short term to long term – It aligns with sustainability, ESG, and stakeholder capitalism.

That Kotler shared this thinking in conversation with Denzil Perera-a marketer working to connect global marketing ideas with Sri Lankan and regional realities-also shows another truth: this framework is not just for Western multinationals. It is for developing markets, family businesses, public sector institutions, education providers-any entity that wants to grow without harming people or the planet.

In short, Kotler’s 6Ps tell today’s marketer: Do well, but do good first.

Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s strong support for the Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism, adopted at the 26th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly.

Addressing the Assembly, the Minister highlighted the growing importance of tourism and digitalisation in Sri Lanka’s economic development agenda. ‘The policy directions and strategies outlined in the Riyadh Declaration are consistent with Sri Lanka’s own tourism and digital transformation priorities,’ he said.

Herath said Sri Lanka looks forward to the timely implementation of the declaration’s outcomes, including forthcoming reports on the use of artificial intelligence in tourism and the prospects of a future convention aimed at advancing global cooperation in the sector.