Product & Service Launches / Business Expansions
View all(74)Colombo Literary Festival 2026 Launches with Shashi Tharoor 📚
• Event Overview: Indian MP and author Dr. Shashi Tharoor joined local dignitaries to launch Sri Lanka’s first international trilingual literary festival at Arcade Independence Square. Running from July 24–29, the event elevates Sinhala, Tamil, and English literature to promote national identity and creative expression. • Key Highlights: • Publishing & Creative Sector: Organized by Colombo Literary Festival (Pvt) Ltd alongside five prominent Sri Lankan publishing houses. • Economic & Cultural Value: Features discussions, workshops, film screenings, and curated book exhibitions aimed at boosting the creative economy and local publishing industry. • Tourism & Global Reach: Positions Sri Lanka as a regional hub for trilingual art, literature, and cultural exchanges. • Operational Details: The festival is open daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. _Note: Specific macroeconomic figures or financial impact metrics were not detailed in the source text_.
✈️ DFCC Bank & SriLankan Airlines Launch Co-Branded Visa Platinum Credit Card
DFCC Bank PLC and national carrier SriLankan Airlines have officially partnered to launch the SriLankan Airlines DFCC Visa Platinum Credit Card, designed to cater to globally connected lifestyle and business travelers. • Key Benefits & Features: - Cardholders earn FlySmiLes Miles on both local and international daily purchases. - Offers 3,000 bonus FlySmiLes Miles immediately upon enrolment. - Includes priority check-in, airport lounge access, additional baggage allowance, and companion travel privileges. • Partnership Details: - Launched on 21 July 2026 at DFCC Bank Head Office in Colombo. - Senior leadership from DFCC Bank, SriLankan Airlines, and Standard Chartered Bank attended the launch ceremony. • Strategic Alignment: - Aims to capitalize on growing demand across overseas education, cross-border commerce, and international tourism & aviation. - Focuses on converting everyday financial transactions into long-term customer loyalty rewards.
📈 Abans Environmental Services Partners with Kapruka to Expand Digital Reach
• Strategic Partnership: Abans Environmental Services (AES) signed an agreement with Kapruka Holdings PLC on July 16, 2026, to offer its specialized services on Sri Lanka's largest e-commerce platform. • Services Launched: Customers can now book sofa, carpet, house, apartment cleaning, and pest control services directly online via Kapruka's digital marketplace. • Future Expansion: Floor and glass cleaning services are confirmed for the next phase, alongside ongoing discussions to roll out additional facility management solutions. • Economic Context: The collaboration leverages AES's decades of operational expertise and Kapruka's digital ecosystem, strengthening service-sector diversification and driving growth in Sri Lanka's expanding e-commerce and digital economy.
📱 Samsung Sri Lanka to Open Pre-Orders for Galaxy Z Fold8 Series
• Market Expansion: Samsung Sri Lanka has announced upcoming islandwide pre-orders for its newest foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8, available via authorized Samsung stores and dealers. • Product Capabilities: Both flagship models feature refined designs, tablet-like screens, and next-generation Galaxy AI integrations aimed at enhancing user productivity, multitasking, and creative workflows. • Pre-Order Availability: According to Samsung Sri Lanka & Maldives Managing Director SangHwa Song, full details on pre-order dates, launch benefits, and device availability will be released through official channels shortly.
🛡️ SLCERT Launches Cyber Threat Lab to Secure Govt Institutions
• Strategic Shift in Defense: The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has launched the Malware Analysis & Threat Hunting (MATH) Lab, shifting from reactive incident handling to proactive, intelligence-led threat detection and prevention. • Core Operational Capabilities: - Proactive Threat Hunting: Identifies hidden cyber threats inside existing networks. - External Attack Surface Monitoring (EASM): Detects vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across publicly accessible assets. - Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI): Gathers and disseminates threat intelligence across agencies for early risk mitigation. • Institutional Coverage: - Supports over 250 Government institutions and critical information infrastructure. - Directly protects essential sectors, including health, education, and energy. • National Context: Complements the National Cyber Security Operations Centre by strengthening domestic capabilities in malware analysis, building resilience, and increasing public trust in national digital infrastructure and services.
China Unicom & Huawei Launch World’s Largest 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink Network 📈
• Key Infrastructure Figures: Deployed over 10,000 base stations across key areas in Beijing, achieving continuous 100 MHz network coverage. Utilized 3.5 GHz + 2.1 GHz coordinated networking (Supplementary Uplink - SUL). • Network Performance & Test Results: Measured across a 34-kilometer live test route with media representatives. 100 MHz uplink effective ratio: 83%. Average uplink rate: 397 Mbps (Peak: 1 Gbps). Ultimate experience (> 300 Mbps): 72% of test route. Cell-edge weak points (< 20 Mbps): Exceedingly low at 0.1%. • Strategic Focus & Applications: Shifts emphasis from traditional download speeds to stable, high-capacity real-time uplink transmission required for the Mobile AI era. Powers real-time cloud data transfer for AI phones, AI glasses, smart robots, industrial vision, and low-altitude applications. Critical infrastructure benchmark for emerging ICT/BPM and digital economy ecosystems relying on real-time AI interaction and cloud processing.
🚜 HNB Partners with Lanka Commercial Trading to Boost Agricultural Leasing
• Key Initiative: Hatton National Bank (HNB PLC) has partnered with Lanka Commercial Trading Ltd. to offer tailored leasing solutions for advanced agricultural machinery, including Yanmar and Solis tractors as well as Samurai Naca harvesters. • Financial & Banking Perks: • Flexible financing available via HNB’s Govi Saviya scheme tailored for agribusinesses. • Includes an HNB Prestige Prime Credit Card with the first-year annual fee waived. • Special discounts on HNB General Insurance premiums, automotive products, servicing, spare parts, tyres, and batteries. • Equipment & After-Sales Support: • Free RMV registration and first-year insurance coverage for Yanmar and Solis tractors. • Warranties provided up to 2,000 hours / 2 years (Solis), 1,000 hours / 1 year (Yanmar), and 300 hours / 6 months (Samurai Naca harvesters). • Complimentary doorstep service visits, maintenance kits, and spare parts packages. • Economic Context: Supports the modernization and mechanisation of Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector to boost crop productivity, efficiency, and rural livelihoods.
Pan Asia Bank Partners SLECIC for Migrant Worker Pre-Departure Loans 📈
Pan Asia Bank has entered a strategic partnership with the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) to enhance its Remit Max Pre-Departure Loan Scheme by integrating the APARA Guarantee Cover. • Strategic Objective: To expand access to formal pre-departure financing for aspiring migrant workers, support safe migration channels, and boost Sri Lanka's foreign exchange remittance inflows. • Key Features: • Provides credit guarantee cover under the SLECIC APARA scheme to share credit risk for prospective workers holding confirmed foreign employment offers. • Eases pre-departure financial burdens by financing initial costs such as airfare, visa fees, medical exams, and registration expenses. • National Impact: Strengthens Sri Lanka's remittance framework, promotes financial inclusion, and supports a key economic driver by aiding individuals seeking overseas employment.
📈 Union Bank Launches Record Pension Loan & Empowers Retirees
Union Bank hosted Union Bank Pensioners’ Day at its Head Office, introducing dedicated financial, healthcare, and lifestyle support to promote independent retirement under the theme "Make your retirement a strength, not a burden." • Financial Products: Launched Sri Lanka’s most competitive pension loan, offering up to Rs. 8 million at the lowest market interest rates. • Value-Added Benefits: Includes Rs. 30,000 worth of free PickMe rides annually for Government Pensioners. • Healthcare & Partnerships: Partnered with Nawaloka Hospitals, Vision Care, Lifeserv, and BYD JKCC Sri Lanka to deliver health screenings, medical benefits, and lifestyle services. • Regulatory Endorsement: Pensions Department Director General Chaminda Hettiarachchi noted this as the first private bank initiative dedicated to pensioner empowerment, leveraging government flexibility that allows retirees to select their preferred lending institution.
🚁 South Asia’s First VR Flight Simulator to Benefit Sri Lankan Aviation
• Regional Aviation & Training: Indocopters Private Limited and Loft Dynamics are launching South Asia's first dedicated Airbus H125 virtual reality (VR) full-motion flight simulator at Indocopters' headquarters in Greater Noida, India. • Benefits for Sri Lanka: The advanced facility will support local operators in Sri Lanka and across the region, boosting aviation & pilot training standards for high-risk operations, adverse weather, emergency procedures, and confined-area landings. • Fleet Context: More than 80 Airbus H125 aircraft are currently in service across South Asia (including Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives). The initiative provides scalable training infrastructure as Airbus Helicopters and Tata Advanced Systems expand regional assembly in Karnataka. • Cutting-Edge Tech: The Loft Dynamics H125 TXi simulator features a 360-degree 3D VR environment, force-feedback controls, and a 6-degree-of-freedom motion platform, allowing pilots to safely rehearse complex scenarios and advance overall aviation MRO and operational readiness.
🇱🇰 Hayleys Agriculture Launches Sri Lanka's First Frozen Concentrated Coconut Water Facility 📈
• Facility Launch: Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Limited has officially opened Hayleys Nature Nest (Pvt) Ltd, marking the island’s first specialized manufacturing plant for frozen concentrated coconut water. • Sector Impact: Focuses on boosting value-added exports within the agriculture and coconut sectors by converting locally sourced coconut water into premium concentrate for international markets. • Economic & Local Benefits: Aims to increase national export earnings, drive agribusiness innovation, and support local coconut growers and regional farming communities.
📈 HDFC Bank Expands Beyond Housing Finance Through Strategic Diversification
• Strategic Shift: State-owned, CSE-listed HDFC Bank of Sri Lanka has diversified its traditional housing finance model starting in 2024 to strengthen financial resilience, enhance sustainability, and adapt to evolving customer needs. • Portfolio Expansion & Product Innovations: - Diversified into leasing, gold advances, and personal loans in 2024. - Introduced Super Draft Leasing, a flexible vehicle financing product permitting early settlements or lump-sum payments within 4 to 24 months without penalties. - Launched Gold Purchase Loans, enabling customers to buy gold jewellery at current market prices through 12-month installment plans to hedge against rising gold prices. • Green Financing & Sustainability: - Entered green financing in 2025 in alignment with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Green Taxonomy. - Introduced Green Personal Loans and Green Leasing options for solar energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs), energy-efficient appliances, and waste recycling. - Rolled out Go Green Savings Accounts and Green Wealth Fixed Deposits to channel customer deposits directly into eco-friendly initiatives. • Leadership & Future Outlook: Under new GM/CEO Hemal C. Lokugeegana, the bank aims to drive long-term, sustainable economic growth across Sri Lanka's banking & finance sector from 2026 onwards.