Awards & Recognitions
View all(31)N-able Named Cisco Partner of the Year – Sri Lanka at 2026 Regional Confluence 📈
Sri Lankan systems integrator N-able has secured the 'Cisco Partner of the Year – Sri Lanka' award at the Cisco India and South Asia Partner Confluence 2026, marking a significant milestone for the local ICT/BPM sector. • Core Performance: Despite global market volatility, the company achieved substantial year-on-year (YoY) growth by aligning with Cisco's strategic regional direction. • Key Sector Focus: Success was driven by Data Center and Hybrid Infrastructure transformation, delivering integrated solutions across networking, cloud, and security. • Regional Impact: N-able represented Sri Lanka on the South Asia stage, distinguishing itself as an impactful partner for complex, future-ready technology deployments. • Future Outlook: The firm plans to deepen capabilities in AI infrastructure and security platforms to support digital diversification and maintain a competitive edge in the local technology ecosystem.
🏆 Hilton Yala Resort Secures Haute Grandeur Global Certification 2026
• Hospitality Sector Milestone: Hilton Yala Resort has been officially certified by the Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards 2026, solidifying its status as a premier luxury destination within Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. • Global Standing: The property is notably Hilton’s only wildlife resort globally, blending contemporary luxury with immersive safari experiences at the edge of Yala National Park. • Operational Excellence: The certification recognizes the resort's high service standards and guest experience quality, contributing to the country's reputation for high-end niche tourism and destination-led storytelling. • Economic Impact: Such international recognitions enhance Sri Lanka’s brand equity in the global travel & leisure market, supporting the national push for high-value tourism arrivals and foreign exchange earnings. 📈
33rd Gratiaen Prize Longlist Announced Amid Record Entries 📈
The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with John Keells Foundation and the British Council, has officially released the longlist for the 33rd annual Gratiaen Prize. This year’s cycle saw a record number of applications, underscoring the growth of the creative industries and English literary talent in Sri Lanka. • Key Highlights: 12 works selected for the longlist from a diverse pool of contemporary voices. Submissions include a mix of poetry, short stories, and novels. Shortlist announcement scheduled for 4 May 2026. Final winner to be revealed on 6 June 2026. • Economic & Social Context: Supported by John Keells Group via its CSR wing, focusing on social cohesion and the creative arts sector. The prize provides a platform for ICT/BPM and professional service workers who often contribute to the English-writing demographic, enhancing Sri Lanka's cultural export potential. • The 2026 Longlist: '@#$%!Daham' – Aneesha Ansar 'Chameleon Silva' – Keith Jayasekera 'Dear Father: The Refugee' – Alan de Costa 'Divergent Among my Neurons' – Gaveen Prabhasara 'Gallivanting' – Ciara Mandulee Mendis 'God, Bangles and a Constitution' – Anuththara Ekeli 'In the Curve of the Smile' – Uvini Atukorala 'Reading Palms' – Oshanthaka Cabraal 'The Department of Chosen Ones' – Thisuri Wanniarachchi 'The Son and the Lover' – Visakesa Chandrasekaram 'Time is a Paper Crane' – Eshana Ranasinghe 'To Hear You Breathe' – Sajla Anees • Judging Panel: Chaired by V.V. Ganeshananthan (Women’s Prize for Fiction winner), alongside Dr. Dinidu Karunanayake and Azara Jaleel.
📈 Aventude Wins Top Tech Honours for Norway Digitalisation
Sri Lankan-founded AI-first engineering firm Aventude has secured the Information Management – Computer Software award at the Singapore Business Review Technology Excellence Awards 2026. The recognition highlights the company’s pivotal role in transforming Norway's public sector through its engineering of the 'Compose' low-code platform. • Core Achievement: Recognition for five years of engineering collaboration in building and scaling 'Compose', now classified as critical national infrastructure in Norway. • Sector Impact: The platform supports government agencies, utilities (nationwide water/wastewater reporting), and housing organisations, streamlining governance and case management. • Technical Expertise: Aventude, headquartered in Singapore with key operations in Sri Lanka and Sweden, specialises in ICT/BPM services, focusing on AI-driven platforms, security, and regulatory compliance for global markets. • Regional Significance: Standing alongside past winners like Changi Airport Group and Philips, this win reinforces Sri Lanka’s position as a hub for high-end software engineering and digital transformation exports to European and US markets. _Summary based on 2026 award data._
DFCC Bank Wins Global Innovation Award for Sri Lanka’s First Blue Bond 🌊
DFCC Bank PLC has been recognized at the Environmental Finance Sustainable Debt Awards 2026, winning the “Innovation – Use of Proceeds (Green Bond)” category for its landmark Blue Bond issuance. • Transaction Highlights: Issued in November 2025, the DFCC Blue Bond raised Rs. 3 billion (approx. US$ 10 million). It marked Sri Lanka’s first listed blue bond, successfully debuting on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and international exchanges including NSE IX, India INX, and the Luxembourg Green Exchange. • Strategic Allocation: Proceeds are dedicated to the blue economy, specifically targeting: Marine pollution prevention and ecosystem conservation. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Clean water infrastructure and marine renewable energy. Coastal climate adaptation and low-carbon transport. • Economic Impact: The bond addresses a critical financing gap for Sri Lanka’s coastal and marine sectors. By linking capital to measurable outcomes—such as wastewater treated and ecosystems restored—it establishes a scalable framework for sustainable finance in island economies. • Governance: The framework received technical support from the Global Green Growth Institute and pre-issuance assurance from KPMG Sri Lanka, ensuring high transparency and international credibility for this new asset class. 📈
Aitken Spence Travels Recognized for Top Management & Regenerative Tourism 📈
Sri Lanka’s leading destination management company, Aitken Spence Travels (ASTL), secured major honors at the CPM Best Management Practices Company Awards 2026, reinforcing its position in the Hospitality and Tourism Services sector. • Key Achievements Category Winner: Hospitality and Tourism Services sector (third consecutive year). Top 40 Listing: Ranked among Sri Lanka’s Top 40 companies for the first time, based on corporate performance and governance. • Strategic Focus: Regenerative Tourism The company was lauded for moving beyond basic sustainability toward regenerative tourism, focusing on restoring environmental and socioeconomic landscapes. Focus areas include community empowerment and environmental stewardship to align with global conscious travel trends. • Governance & Compliance ASTL remains the only Sri Lankan destination management firm certified by both Travelife and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Operations are integrated with group-level policies ensuring high accountability and responsible growth across the travel & tourism sector. • Sector Impact The recognition highlights the company’s role in strengthening the national tourism offering through innovation and best-in-class management practices, essential for long-term value creation in the evolving global market.
Cargills Food City Named People’s Supermarket Brand for 5th Year 🏆
Cargills Food City secured the "People’s Supermarket Brand of the Year 2026" at the SLIM Kantar Awards, marking half a decade of continuous dominance in the retail sector. • Market Presence & Scale: Operates the largest supermarket network in Sri Lanka with 562 stores spanning all 25 districts. The chain has maintained a consistent growth trajectory since its inception in 1983. • Strategic Value Proposition: The brand anchors its market position on a "single-price policy" nationwide, aimed at mitigating cost of living challenges and ensuring price parity for rural and urban consumers. • Economic & Supply Chain Impact: Agriculture: Provides sustainable market access for smallholder farmers through technical support and a 24-hour temperature-controlled cold chain. SME Support: Acts as a primary retail platform for local small businesses and suppliers. Employment: Significant contributor to youth development and domestic job creation via structured career pathways. • Infrastructure & Sustainability: Ongoing reinvestment focuses on expanding the retail footprint and environmental stewardship, specifically through energy-saving initiatives and solar power integration across its logistics hub.
EY Sri Lanka Ranked Among Top 10 Employers for 2026 📈
Recognition Overview: EY Sri Lanka has been officially recognized as one of the Top 20 Employers for 2026 by AICPA and CIMA, securing the 10th position overall. Performance Context: The firm was selected from a pool of over 1,600 organizations nationwide, highlighting its competitive standing in the professional services sector. Key Drivers: The accolade underscores EY’s commitment to the accounting and finance profession through: • Structured development for CIMA and CGMA professionals. • Fostering an inclusive culture and meaningful career pathways. • Strategic focus on professional growth and innovation-led skill building. Economic Impact: By developing "future-ready" professionals, the firm continues to strengthen Sri Lanka's ICT/BPM and financial services talent pool, essential for national human capital development. Provisional Status: Based on the 2026 AICPA and CIMA awards rankings announced at Cinnamon Life.
SL Public Debt Management Office Wins Prestigious Commonwealth Award 🏆
Sri Lanka’s Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) has been named “Debt Management Office of the Year (Asia-Pacific)” at the Commonwealth Debt Management Awards in London. This recognition comes just 15 months after its establishment, signaling global confidence in the country's post-2022 economic reforms. • Key Institutional Milestones: PDMO established under the Public Debt Management Act, No. 33 of 2024. Consolidated fragmented debt structures into a unified legal framework aligned with IMF EFF program commitments. Successfully took over domestic government securities auctions from the Central Bank in December 2025, ending a 75-year tenure. • Operational & Strategy Gains: Launched the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy and Annual Borrowing Plan in February 2025. Transitioned to a strategy-driven framework focusing on cost-risk optimization and transparency. Implemented risk-based measures for government guarantees and on-lending to safeguard public finances. • Global Market Impact: Established a dedicated Investor Relations Unit to enhance transparency. Marked improvements in the World Bank Debt Transparency Heatmap. Significant rise in Sri Lanka’s global investor relations ranking for 2025 as reported by the Institute of International Finance. This award validates Sri Lanka’s shift toward a modern, resilient debt management framework supported by the World Bank, ADB, and JICA. 📈
📈 HNB Ranks #1 in K Seeds Investments’ 2025 Banking Report
Hatton National Bank (HNB) has been named the best-performing bank in "Category 1" (Domestic Systematically Important Banks) for the 2025 financial year. The ranking, conducted by K Seeds Investments, evaluated 16 licensed banks across nine weighted KPIs, including Return on Equity (ROE), Net Interest Margin (NIM), and Asset Quality. • Sector Performance & Ranking: • HNB topped the premier category under new CBSL "Banking Act Directions No. 01 of 2025," which categorizes banks based on size, complexity, and interconnectedness rather than assets alone. • Evaluation metrics included Cost-to-Income ratio, CASA, Loan Growth, and Impaired Loans (Stage 3). • Macroeconomic Context: • 2025 marked a recovery milestone with moderated inflation and exchange rate stability. • Sovereign risk perceptions eased following a Fitch rating of CCC+, boosting investor confidence in the banking sector. • Credit affordability improved, driving demand in both corporate and retail segments. • Resilience & Challenges: • Asset quality showed gradual recovery as NPLs moderated from crisis peaks. • Despite the economic disruption caused by Cyclone Ditwah in December 2025, the sector remained resilient due to strengthened capital positions and risk management. _Source: K Seeds Investments Report (Based on 2025 Annual/Quarterly Data)_
Sri Lankan Travel Documentary Beats BBC & Amazon for Top Global Honor 📈
• Overall Achievement: A documentary on Sri Lanka produced by Mark Julian Edwards won the prestigious Television Broadcast of the Year at the Inspire Global Media Awards 2026 in London, UK. • Sector Impact: The victory provides a high-profile endorsement for the tourism sector, positioning the island as a premier destination for authentic human experiences and cultural storytelling. • Project Origins: The film was a direct result of a Media FAM Tour hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) last year, which included 34 international journalists exploring "Off the Beaten Path" locations. • Content Highlights: The documentary showcased Sri Lanka’s hospitality, wildlife, ancient medicinal food recipes, and traditional arts and crafts. • Strategic Value: By defeating global giants like the BBC and Amazon TV, the win enhances Sri Lanka's brand equity in the UK and European markets, likely influencing future travel and hospitality arrivals.
📈 Gateway College Named First South Asian HarperCollins Partner School
Gateway College has achieved a significant milestone in the education sector, becoming the first school in Sri Lanka and South Asia to be recognized as a HarperCollins Partner School. The distinction was awarded at the 2026 London International Book Fair. • Global Recognition: Gateway joins an elite group of only 18 Collins Partner Schools worldwide, highlighting the school’s alignment with international academic standards. • Strategic Partnership: As a partner of the British-American publishing giant, Gateway will collaborate on teaching innovations and gain access to high-quality educational resources used globally. • Economic Context: This partnership strengthens Sri Lanka's education services and ICT/BPM potential by integrating global best practices into the local talent pipeline. • Key Benefits: The collaboration offers tailored support, exclusive opportunities, and a platform for Gateway to provide insights that shape future educational resources for teachers and students. _Source: Based on provisional reports from April 20, 2026._