As the largest environmental event in history, Earth Hour launched its 2012 campaign “I Will If You Will” to showcase how everyone has the power to change the world they live in.
Flytxt, the global technology leader in mobile marketing and campaign management, announced today that Zantel, one of the fastest growing telecom operators in Tanzania, has selected Flytxt for its subscriber engagement initiative.
A clear picture of the country’s strengths and weaknesses is essential if Sri Lanka is to achieve success in IT/BPO, says ICT Agency of Sri Lanka CEO, Reshan Dewapura.
Just after its launch into the local market, RED (Revitalizing Exertion Drink) the all natural energy drink, has been well accepted in the energy drinks market.
Ceylinco Life has recorded total income of Rs 13.698 billion and Gross Written Premium Income of Rs 9.816 billion for the year ending 31st December 2011, emphatically reinforcing its position as the country’s leading life insurer for the eighth consecutive year.
Access Engineering Ltd., one of the country’s leading construction and engineering enterprises, yesterday formally announced plans to go for a Rs. 500 million Initial Public Offering (IPO), to partly finance the working capital requirements of a housing project to the value of Rs. 3 billion undertaken by the company on behalf of UDA.
The SLIM/Bucks Alumni conducted its inaugural Annual General Meeting under the patronage of Vice Chancellor of BUCKS University UK Prof. Deric Godfry, President SLIM Mr. Thushara Perera , Mr. Ajitha Wanasinghe SLIM /Bucks MBA Coordinator and SLIM Executive Committee officials at the SLIM House recently.
Having emerged as a university with strict focus on quality and clarity, University of Bolton is a highly reputed provider of education in the United Kingdom. With a proud history spreading not only to the United Kingdom but other countries as well, the University is one of the most sought after educational destinations in the world.
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the leading National Integrated Telecommunications Service Provider continued its growth momentum, seeing its Profit Before Tax (PBT), Profit After Tax (PAT), revenue and all other Key Performance Indicators showcase sustained improvement.
Navajeevana meaning ‘New Life’ celebrated twenty five years of development and service to persons with special needs. A non-governmental organization situated in the Hambantota district, Navajeevana is committed towards improving the quality of life of persons with special needs.
EdCIL (India) Limited with the endorsement of the Government of India and High Commission of India in Colombo, opens EdCIL – Indian Education Fair 2012 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre at BMICH in Colombo.
Mr. S.H.M Rishan, the Chairman of PCH PLC the leading ICT retailer to the nation, has been awarded the coveted title of Outstanding Entrepreneur at the annual Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards organized for Sri Lanka by Kuala Lumpur based NGO Enterprise Asia. This accolade, which is recognized on a national and regional level, recognized the trailblazing efforts of Mr. Rishan and his significant entrepreneurial achievements.
Retail professionals from some of the World’s top department stores are due in Sri Lanka this month for a three-day conference that will generate valuable exposure for the country’s retail sector.
Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills PLC has announced plans to float a rights issue to raise Rs 914 million for expansion and to strengthen the company’s balance sheet, subject to Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and shareholder approval.
Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTE) and its subsidiaries have reported consolidated turnover of Rs 2.79 billion and a net loss of Rs 73.8 million for the year ending 31st December 2011, a period described by the company as ‘most challenging.’
WaveNET, a leading supplier of telecom value added network infrastructure, announced the opening of its new office in Dubai recently expanding its global footprint. “Dubai offers us a great platform to service our growing client base in Africa and also to open up new markets in the Gulf Region,” said Suren Pinto Chief Executive Officer of WaveNET
A view of Colombo’s skyline from the Indian Ocean, a scenic sunset from the deck of a ship and a sumptuous dinner at sea were among the memories 300 people from all over Sri Lanka took back with them, after they were recently treated to a ‘Jetliner’ cruise by NOLIMIT.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced that 56 of its service points will be kept open on Mahasivarathri Day, Monday 20th February 2012, a public and bank holiday.
PC House PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading ICT and Solutions provider posted strong 3rd quarter figures (1st October to 31st December 2011) setting the stage for a grand finale to their financial year.
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the national telecommunications service provider, has launched a compelling corporate campaign under the ‘One Country. One Voice’ proposition to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 64th year of Independence.
Richard Pieris & Co PLC (RPC) one of the largest and most successful diversified business conglomerates in Sri Lanka, with over 42 subsidiaries and in excess of 30,000 employees has announced the appointment of Mr. Sunil Liyanage to its main Board of Directors.
The CSR Trust of Commercial Bank of Ceylon has set up a fully-equipped computer laboratory at the Ranminitenna Primary School in Tissamaharamaya, Hambantota, continuing its nation-wide community initiative to improve IT education.
Emirates is driving forward its operations in Europe by announcing a third daily flight to Milan from 1st June, taking to 49 the number of weekly flights offered to Italy.
Synergy Ventures, a specialist distributor of premium sanitary fittings and tiles, has been appointed the sole agent in Sri Lanka and the Maldives for Hansa, Germany’s top sanitary fittings brand, with effect from January 2012.
Sri Lanka’s top memory products supplier Memory Technologies has opened its first standalone retail outlet in Colombo, enabling end-users to purchase products of the globally-renowned Silicon Valley brand ‘Kingston’ directly from the brand’s authorised distributor in the country.
It has been decided to permit foreign owned companies which are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka as Margin Providers, to engage in the business of provision of credit to investors of the Colombo Stock Exchange.
Lankem Ceylon PLC and Lankem Robbialac have come together this year to add colour to the S. Thomas' 1st Eleven Cricket by becoming the team’s clothing sponsor for the second year running.
Dipped Products PLC, (DPL) the Hayleys Group’s global player in Hand Protection, has reported turnover of Rs 14.5 billion for the nine months ending 31st December 2011, following a resilient performance by its rubber glove manufacturing operations.
Continuing its growth momentum into the 3rd quarter of FY2011/12, Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) recorded exceptional all-round financial performance.
Haycarb PLC has reported a revenue growth of 25 per cent to Rs 5.9 billion for the nine months ending 31st December 2011, with stable demand for the Company’s product portfolio supported by improvements in the global marketing, manufacturing and supply chain activities.
A thought leader in Asia, eMarketingEye (www.emarketingeye.com) is an end-to-end online marketing solutions provider, primarily focused on the Travel and Hospitality industry. The company has grown from strength to strength and celebrates 5 remarkable years of success on 2nd February 2012.
Sri Lanka’s renowned men's wear specialist Fouzul Hameed took the runway by storm on the opening night of the recent “HSBC Colombo Fashion Week 2011” with his exclusive and innovative “FH Studio Spring Summer Designer Collection”.
With a history of supporting initiatives aimed at developing Sri Lanka through technology, Intel today joined hands with the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) as its technology collaborator in its island wide initiative “A Healthy Society for a Healthy Tomorrow”. This initiative is aimed at developing the Sri Lanka healthcare sector through the use of technology.
A series of acquisitions and planned developments over the next financial year are projected to lead to more than doubling the capacity of Amaya Leisure PLC, as the Hayleys conglomerate’s hospitality sector company gears to respond to the growth expectations of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC has achieved outstanding growth in key performance indicators to post record profit and operational growth in 2011 and end the year once again as the benchmark private bank in the country.
Sri Lanka’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, Nestlé Lanka PLC, sustained the positive performance trends of previous quarters to Q4 and posted a revenue of LKR 6.2 billion and a profit of LKR 605 million for the last quarter of the year. Despite the volatility and sharp upward trend in the price of commodities over 2011, the Company’s strong performance in all four quarters enabled them to deliver a strong revenue of LKR 25.8 billion for the year ending 31 December 2011.
A replication of a new concept in the retailing of paint and the introduction of an innovative ‘Combinations Guide’, for exterior surfaces, attracted hundreds of visitors to the stall of Asian Paints at the recent Architect 2012 exhibition.
The Avani Bentota Resort and Spa today announced the arrival of its 1000th guest, two and a half months after its launch on 01 December last year. Located on the southern coast, Sri Lanka’s first-ever Avani property – Avani Bentota Resort and Spa – was launched by Serendib Leisure in partnership with Minor International.
Sri Lanka’s top apparel exporter Brandix extended its globally-acclaimed commitment to the environment to the youth by supporting a forum on the sustainability of the environment, held as part of the first-ever Sri Lanka International Youth Forum of AIESEC, the world’s largest student-run organisation.
Redefining rail travel in Sri Lanka, Expo Rail gives you yet another first, adding luxury compartments to Vavuniya from Colombo with passengers having the option to board the carriage from any stop on the journey, on any day of the week.
Sino Lanka Hotel Holdings celebrated the beginning of construction of OZO Colombo with a ground breaking ceremony at the site. Hon Basil Rajapakse, Minister for Economic Development and Tourism officiated at the ceremony together with Sino Lanka Hotel shareholders and owners and directors of the Thailand - based hotel management company, ONYX hospitality group.
The Management of Ramani Fernando Hair & Beauty Academy, together with their long-term project partner, Sunsilk, the foremost haircare brand of Unilever Sri Lanka, today announced their 7th annual graduation ceremony which is scheduled to take place on 21st March in Colombo at Hotel Galadari.
Seventeen of Sri Lanka’s leading racing drivers will be supported in their high-octane heroics by top tyre brand CEAT as a result of a new partnership forged by CEAT Kelani Holdings with Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), the country’s national controlling body for automobile sports.
Twenty five Sri Lankan undergraduates have received assistance and motivation to pursue their future aspirations from the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, as part the Bank’s CSR Trust’s ‘Sarasaviyata Nawa Saviyak’ community initiative to support worthy undergraduates.
Emirates has introduced special fares for students travelling to Australia, as part of the airline’s continuing support to Sri Lankans travelling overseas for higher education.
Lifebuoy, Unilever Sri Lanka's flagship germ-protection brand, won all three key awards that it was nominated for at the recently concluded SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards, marking a clear reflection of the lasting impact the brand had made in the minds of Sri Lankan consumers over the years.
Reducing or elimination of tariffs alone is not sufficient to increase intra – SAARC trade. There are several other measures we have to take if we are to improve the situation. And Sri Lanka is keen to promoting the interests of our region through the full potential of the SAFTA and SATIS.
Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, has opened its first airport lounge on the West Coast, at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The new lounge represents a $4 million investment in the Bay Area.
Richlife Dairies Limited, a pioneer in the manufacture of high quality dairy and fruit products in Sri Lanka experienced infusion of much needed dynamism and fresh business direction under the new management of Renuka Agri Foods PLC (RAL) in mid January 2012.
Leaders in the beverage industry - Coca-Cola, stamped its authority at the SLIM – Neilsen People’s Awards 2012 held recently, by being awarded Winners of the prestigious “Youth Beverage Brand of the Year”, Receiving the award is a victory in itself, as the winners of the SLIM – Neilsen People’s Awards are judged by the consumers themselves.
Leo Burnett Solutions Inc (LBSI), the Sri Lankan office of the internationally acclaimed advertising agency was honoured with the prestigious Leo Intel Award for their "Campaign on Child Protection" - a campaign created by the agency for a pitch presentation to UNICEF.
SriLankan Airlines’ adds the district of Anuradhapura to its national recruitment programme to create employment opportunities for promising young rural youth, to embark on rewarding careers as Cabin Crew of the national carrier.
Sri Lanka’s leading menswear specialist Hameedia today signed up with Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, India’s largest and fastest growing apparel player, to import and distribute leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England in Sri Lanka.
‘A complete illustrated history of Sri Lanka’ a unique new book by Doctor Anton Sebastian is to be launched next week at the Matara International Book Fair on February 22, in New Delhi on February 25 at the Foreign Correspondents Club and also at the Sri Lanka stall at the World Book Fair.
“We Book IT” an online reservations system catering to the hospitality industry was launched at the “Sancharaka Udawa”, a hospitality Industry based exhibition held recently at the Ceylon Continental. The event provided the perfect opportunity to showcase this unique web based online booking system that help hoteliers to access accurate information ranging from the hotel front end activities to the back office requirements efficiently from anywhere in the world.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Division, together with its local partner CIC Sri Lanka, announced the launch of the newest line of body soaps- Johnson’s Pure Essentials, to the local market. This new product line is formulated with a unique combination of natural ingredients and Lactomellis Plus, which helps lock in moisture and lock out germs.
Sri Lanka’s # 1 English radio station, Gold FM, known for always providing listeners with the very best in music and entertainment, will feature Billy Ocean in a Valentine’s Day concert tomorrow. This top-notch concert will see Billy Ocean being supported by a 14-member band.
Sri Lanka is injecting US $ 2 Mn to upgrade its booming footwear and leather sector. It has started work on an exclusive industrial zone designated for leather and footwear production and is also launching special human resource training initiatives while enlisting a national university to upgrade the Leather and Footwear sector which netted US $ 36 Mn in export revenues in 2011.
A range of benefits including discounts on the purchase price, competitive lease rentals, special insurance packages and value-added services are now available to buyers of Isuzu Motor Lorries leased via the Commercial Bank of Ceylon.
The Nelum Flower (Nelumbian speciosium) was all pervasive in its captivating shades of blue, magenta and white, as members of Hameedia’s staff together with its partners, all numbering well over 1200 converged on Colombo’s newest landmark, the “Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapakse Theatre” for the Hameedia Talent Show 2012.
Four Sri Lankan fishermen who were recently rescued by an South Indian fishing community returned safely to Sri Lanka on 09 February. “Thanks to the valuable support of Indian authorities, the fisher community in South Indian Kanyakumari area, the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai and our Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, they have returned safely with no incidents” announced a relieved and a happy Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka.
In a move to ensure a swift and smooth check in for passengers, all SriLankan Airlines economy class check in counters will close 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure, from February 1st, 2012.
The new year has brought good tidings for customers of Asian Paints in Sri Lanka with the company giving away gold coins to customers and painters and presenting a brand-new Viva Elite car to the winner of the grand prize in its innovative ‘Ranwan Paata’ promotion.
Synergy Ventures, a specialist distributor of premium sanitary fittings and tiles, has been appointed the sole agent in Sri Lanka and the Maldives for Hansa, Germany’s top sanitary fittings brand, with effect from January 2012.
Luke Bronin, the US Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes met with Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka, at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Colombo on 02 February.
SriLankan Air Taxi will operate daily scheduled flights to Mahawilachchiya Tank, Anuradhapura from 4th February to 11th February 2012, providing fast and comfortable transfers to the exhibition venue for the Deyata Kirula.
Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has extended its reach into Africa with the launch of a new linked service to Lusaka and Harare.
Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM ) held a media briefing recently to announce the arrangements for the ‘SLIM-Nielsen Peoples Awards’ to be held for the seventh consecutive year on 2 February at the Water’s Edge Battaramulla.
SriLankan Airlines latest batch of cadet pilots were awarded their “Wings’ when they passed out as Junior First Officers
at a recently held ceremony in Katunayake.
Sri Lanka is grateful to Italy for continued support it receives from the European friend, specially during Sri Lanka’s tough times. Sri Lanka is also keen on tech transfer support from Italy for its fledgling $ 16Mn mineral granite industry and is also looking to set up a committee to oversee granite exporters’ issues.
Commercial Credit PLC which has made a revolutionary change in Sri Lanka's financial sector gave its clients an innovative experience recently. Out of 90,000 clients spread across the country from Dondra to Point Pedro, a group of 5000 selected clients who have engaged in micro finance were invited to Leisure World in Kaluaggala, Avissawella. Here they spent a pleasant evening with lots of excitement and got the chance to get to know each other across all language, cultural and geographical boundaries.
Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka’s unique campaign 'Brrr Wenna Swiss Yanna stirred excitement through the country, as consumers got an opportunity to experience the Coca-Cola ‘Brrrr’ like never before.
Global Park, the logistics centre of Sri Lankan logistics giant Global Transportation Logistics, is the current regional hub chosen by the UK retail fashion giant Marks & Spencer (M&S), as the international logistics hub for all garments manufactured under the M&S label in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.
Fonterra’s flagship brand Anchor, with its 125 year history of delivering quality dairy nutrition to families across the globe, was recognized as the Peoples FMCG Hot Beverage Brand of the Year at the recent SLIM Nielsen Peoples Awards 2012.
Emirates’ Middle East operations will receive a boost this August as the airline increases its daily capacity to both Kuwait and Doha, adding a total capacity increase of almost 29 percent across the two routes.
The importance of environmental conservation has become an increasingly challenging area of evaluation for many organisations. With the growing focus on minimising an organisations carbon footprint, an increasing number of companies have taken the initiative to enhance awareness and minimise negative impact on the environment.
Pears, the most trusted baby toiletries brand in the country continues to assure a safer world for Sri Lankan babies. The 18th milestone of the Pears Safe Hands project will be unveiled soon in Welikanda Hospital.
Atlas the leading manufacturer and distributor of Stationary in Sri Lanka with the largest sales force in the stationary segment, being aware of the importance of upholding professionalism and carrier development of their employees, has come up with a new career development plan for the field staff to develop them to a professional level.
From piquant pizzas to delicious ice creams, cardholders of Commercial Bank can indulge their taste buds with the gastronomic delights of 11 top restaurants while enjoying discounts of up to 30% for two months.
The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team Coordinating Centre (Sri Lanka CERCC) coordinated with the Asia Pacific Computer Security Incident Response Team (APCERT) recently for mitigating cyber threats.
Inspired by the creative dreams of Otara, the founder of Odel, the ‘Otara’ jeans collection is yet another fashion-savvy spin-off initiative of one of the most inspirational icons in the Asian retail industry.
The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL - www.cssl.lk) has launched its newest program to popularise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among all Sri Lankans, especially focusing on rural areas.
NESCAFÉ, the world's premium coffee brand, was voted the number one peoples choice for ‘Hot Beverage Brand of the Year’ at the SLIM-Nielson Peoples Awards 2012.
RPC POLYMERS(PVT) LTD, a member of the Richard Pieris Group of Companies, donated traffic cones used to regulate traffic and separate lanes on roads to the Nugegoda Police Division Headquarters.
Number one chocolate brand in Sri Lanka, Ritzbury will continue to support protection and awareness programs among school children to educate them on the unique beauty and biodiversity of wetlands.
The Galle Music Festival, Sister Event of the Jaffna Music Festival (which attracted an audience of over 13,000 people to Jaffna in March 2011) returns to Galle in March 2012.
The Richard Pieris Group ended its first nine months with a strong growth of 95% in Operating Profits of all its sectors other than the plantation sector. The nine months ended 31st December 2011 evidenced a steady growth of the Group’s Retail, Plastic and Rubber Sectors and the Group is well poised to achieve its targets during the year with plans underway for an aggressive expansion of its large format super market retail outlets and diversification plans into the financial services sector.
IBM today unveiled smarter computing solutions designed totransform, grow and make Sri Lankan enterprises more competitive. A wide range of workload-optimization hardware solutions, such as IBM Storwize V7000, IBM Starter Kit for Cloud and IBM BladeCenter blade servers were presented at the IBM Smarter Computing Forum.
Recent investigations by the financial authorities’ world over have revealed that money laundering activities conducted by various elements that have resulted in action being taken to combat this increasing criminal activity.
The final draw concluded, it’s ‘all systems go’ for the 2012 Ceylinco Life ‘Family Savari’ -- the most ambitious policyholder promotion to date in Sri Lanka’s insurance sector.
Seylan Bank Plc reported its best ever Q4 results, reflecting a growth of 82% over last year to report a post-tax-profit of Rs. 699.73 Mn (2010 – Rs. 383.91 Mn) for the quarter.
Hayleys PLC has more than quadrupled net profit and profit attributable to equity holders for the nine months ending 31st December 2011, in a performance that reflects the accelerated momentum of the Blue chip conglomerate in FY 2011-12. With strong operational growth in key manufacturing sectors and capital gains being complemented with noteworthy contributions from new areas of business, the Group has reported profit after tax of Rs 3.6 billion at the end of the third quarter.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday called for stepping up efforts to fully realize the potential of a Free Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka. He called for an increase in bilateral trade between the two countries from $375 million to $2 billion target in the next three years.
Over 60 senior professional golfers from across the globe will fly into Sri Lanka, to participate in the country's first top-level championship tour organised by SriLankan Airlines.
Aristotle once said that “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”. Such is the importance education has been given today that many students seek higher education from different parts of the world.
A potentially future defining milestone was reached by another 170 young Sri Lankans recently, when they became the latest recipients of Ceylinco Life Pranama scholarships presented by the country’s life insurance leader.
Arpico Supercentre, the premier hyper market chain of Sri Lanka launched it’s first consumer promotional campaign “Stamp & Win” for the year 2012 enabling loyal customers to win essential home appliances and Arpico Gift Vouchers.
zMessenger (Pvt) Ltd. a premier integrated mobile media company, partnered with Allianz Insurance for a mobile based communication platform which will enable Allianz Insurance to maintain a high level of individual customer commitment.
"More Practice Before The term Test" is the latest series of publications by samudra publishers who won the "Gurulugomi Uthara Prasada Award Jointly organized by The Ministry of Education and the book Development Board for The best book shops.
Rapidly expanding, Divasa Finance Limited recently announced the appointment of Prof. Arjuna De Silva and Mr. Vasula Premawardhana as non-executive directors of the company.
Niko, the ex-street dog that inspired several collections of clothing and accessories for ODEL’s ‘Embark’ label is depicted as a spy in an exciting new collection that is to be presented at a colourful fashion show on Saturday, 11th February 2012 at 7.00pm at the Atrium Lobby of the Alexandra Place store.
Bartleet Finance Ltd, a leader in the financial services sector and a member of the Bartleet Group launched its Savings Accounts, offering unparalleled financial flexibility for the investing public in Sri Lanka.
The rapid growth of its customer base in the Kottawa area has prompted Commercial Bank of Ceylon to relocate its branch in the town at a more spacious location with better parking facilities.
The 5,000-strong sales force of Ceylinco Life will soon be deployed across the country on a concerted public awareness campaign as Sri Lanka’s life insurance leader conducts its fifth annual ‘Life Insurance Week,’ to promote the value of life insurance.
Sri Lanka’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, Nestlé Lanka PLC, sustained the positive performance trends of previous quarters to Q4 and posted a revenue of LKR 6.2 billion and a profit of LKR 605 million for the last quarter of the year. Despite the volatility and sharp upward trend in the price of commodities over 2011, the Company’s strong performance in all four quarters enabled them to deliver a strong revenue of LKR 25.8 billion for the year ending 31 December 2011. 
The Avani Bentota Resort and Spa today announced the arrival of its 1000th guest, two and a half months after its launch on 01 December last year. Located on the southern coast, Sri Lanka’s first-ever Avani property – Avani Bentota Resort and Spa – was launched by Serendib Leisure in partnership with Minor International.
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