VirtusaPolaris summit showcases next-gen technology careers for tech graduates

VirtusaPolaris, the market-facing brand of Virtusa Corporation and Polaris Consulting & Services, Ltd., recently hosted nearly 200 undergraduate tech students from 15 of the country’s leading universities and higher education institutions at the VirtusaPolaris Converse 2017 graduate meet up held at The British School in Colombo.

H-Connect Creates History by Winning Silver for ‘Best Shared Services Team in Asia’ at Shared Servic

H-Connect (Private) Limited, the shared services arm of Hirdaramani, won the Silver award for the Best Shared Services Team in Asia at the 19th Shared Services Excellence Awards

E-commerce platform to offer authentic Lankan products to buyers worldwide

Giving authentic Sri Lankan produce a digital push overseas, Buysrilankan.com was launched recently, delighting many Sri Lankan expatriates.

ESET celebrates consumer loyalty with special promotion

DCS International Private Limited (DCS), the exclusive authorized distributor of ESET in Sri Lanka, recently launched their ‘Virus Delete Karanna Thegi Win Karanna’ promotion to thank their customers for years of loyalty.

CIM Sri Lanka participates in EDEX for 11th consecutive year

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Sri Lanka participated in the EDEX Expo exhibition, Sri Lanka’s largest education and job fair, held at the BMICH Colombo recently. 

Waters Edge opens ‘Our Shop’ for staff welfare

Waters Edge recently opened doors to its very own staff welfare shop to benefit the loyal staff of the hotel.

Insee Cement powers animal rescue project with IUCN

Insee Cement , the first green cement manufacturer in Sri Lanka continued their renowned and popular animal rescue programme for the 8th consecutive year, in partnership with the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the Aruakalu quarry site.

NDB builds learning platform for future generation

With an increasing number of millennials and Generation Y entering into the corporate world, companies have now started to rethink and create changes that would accommodate their perception of work.  

Hayleys Jeevadhara to improve rural livelihood and nutrition

Committed to improving rural livelihood and nutrition through sustainable agricultural development, Hayleys Agriculture the agriculture arm of the leading multinational conglomerate Hayleys PLC, 

SEC announces Rs.100mn shareholders’ fund requirement for brokers

Giving effect to a long awaited reform to consolidate the overcrowded stock broking industry, Sri Lanka’s capital market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),

Sri Lanka eyes China free trade deal this year, PM to visit in May

REUTERS: Sri Lanka aims to finalize a free trade agreement with China this year and the country’s Prime Minister will visit Beijing in May, the Sri Lankan Ambassador said on Saturday, amid rising concern in the South Asian nation about Chinese investment.

Hayleys Fabric December profits down 83%

The Hayleys group knitted fabric manufacturing unit, Hayleys Fabric PLC, reported a net profit of 6 cents a share for the quarter ending December 2016, against 34 cents a share recorded during the same quarter last year, the interim report of the company showed. 

Lankan tyre exports to US to be slapped with anti-dumping duties

Certain new pneumatic off-the-road tyres imported to the US from Sri Lanka and India will shortly be subjected to anti-dumping and countervailing duties following a recently concluded United States International Trade Commission (USITC) investigation.

January tourist arrivals up 13% despite partial airport closure

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka this January grew by 12.9 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 219,360, despite the country’s main airport in Katunayake being closed for a considerable period of time.

Kireizuki approach to quality and productivity

The Japanese are known for their obsession with cleanliness. They are also known for their high quality and productivity. There is obviously a connection. 

Senkadagala Finance to raise Rs.580mn via rights to remain capital-rich

Senkadagala Finance PLC, a licensed finance company with an asset base of just under Rs.29 billion last week announced its plans to raise equity capital via a rights issue to maintain the minimum regulatory capital requirements, a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange said. 

Expolanka sees tougher conditions as December profits fall

Diversified freight and logistics firm, Expolanka Holdings PLC, saw its December quarter (3Q17) performance being hampered through the “challenges arising from constrained returns from passive investments combined with the impact of a drop in exchange gains”, the interim report filed by the company said. 

LOLC to introduce microfinance model to Pakistan

Sri Lanka’s leading non-banking financial institution, Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC), saw its unique microfinance model being accepted to be applied in yet another regional market.

FinMin chief guest at SL-ADB 50-year partnership ceremony today

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake will be the chief guest on the occasion of the celebration to mark the 50 years of Sri Lanka’s partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

London and Home Counties retains MTI Consulting

The London and Home Counties (LHC) region of the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) retained MTI Consulting, whose Senior International HR Consultant Darshan Singh was in London this week for this initiative. 

KOPIA Sri Lanka Centre facilitates onion production

The Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) Sri Lanka Centre donated 25 drip irrigation system units, 40 power spreading machines and 1,000 plastic containers to transport onion mother-bulbs for vernalization to a total of 40 Sri Lankan farmers in Gelenbindunuwewa, Hambantota and Mannar.

Trade deficit widens 33% as exports slow down

Sri Lanka’s external trade deficit widened by 32.9 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US$ 1.05 billion last October, as a 2-month export growth spurt slowed down, while importation of equipment for the Colombo Port City project boosted imports.

Footwear and Leather Fair

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen checking out some items on display at the 9th Footwear and Leather Fair 2017 at BMICH yesterday.  Pic by Kithsiri de Mel

Asia markets struggle at end of volatile week

AFP- Asian traders moved cautiously yesterday, at the end of a volatile week and following another tepid lead from Wall Street while focus shifts to the release later in the day of US jobs figures. Markets have struggled to find stability over the past five days following Donald Trump’s controversial ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries and claims that China and Japan were currency manipulators.

Gold shines in 2016 on keen investment demand: WGC

AFP - Demand for gold rose in 2016 to a three-year high, aided by keen investment appetite for the precious metal, the World Gold Council said yesterday in a report.

Rupee falls on dollar demand from importers, banks

REUTERS: The Sri Lankan rupee fell yesterday due to dollar demand from importers and banks as foreign investors continued to sell government securities, dealers said.

THEFACESHOP holds makeup workshop with Ramzi

THEFACESHOP recently held the ‘Get Glamorous’ makeup and beauty workshop on 17th December at the Colombo Racecourse. 

Hyundai to assemble cars in Pakistan in venture with textile group Nishat Mills

REUTERS: Hyundai Motor Company plans to set up a car assembly plant in Pakistan in a joint venture with Pakistani textile giant Nishat Mills, a Nishat Mills official said yesterday. 

Citrus Waskaduwa wins 2017 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award

Citrus Waskaduwa was recently awarded the 2017 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice award in the category of ‘Top Hotels’, ranking within the top 25 hotels in Sri Lanka. 

Japan pension funds denies investment as sop to Trump

AFP - Japan’s public pension fund on Thursday denied a report it will invest in US infrastructure as part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s expected offer to President Donald Trump to help boost US employment.