Business
One of the world’s top 10 most valuable tire brands now in Sri Lanka
Akvora International Pvt Ltd is proudly the new distributor for Giti Tire in Sri Lanka and is pleased to announce the launch of this world-class tire brand for the Sri Lankan market. Giti Tire is ranked among the top 10 most valuable tire brands, globally, and brings a wide range of high-quality products and innovative technologies to the Sri Lankan market. Akvora International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akvora Pvt Ltd, a leading importer and distributor of air conditioning systems in Sri Lanka. However, while its venture into tires is new, Akvora International is led by a competent team of professionals with a collective experience of over 100 years behind them, in the automotive space.
The launch of Giti Tire in Sri Lanka was officially announced and unveiled at a special press conference and event held to mark the occasion. Amongst the speakers at the press conference were Nik Goh, Sales and Marketing Manager – ASEAN, Australia, and Sri Lanka at Giti Tire Group, and Ms. Shiroo Chia, Head of Marketing – Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceana at Giti Tire Group. The presence of these two high-ranking officials highlighted the importance of the Sri Lankan market to Giti Tire and presented an opportunity for lively discussion and friendly exchanges about the brand’s vision for Sri Lanka.
Giti Tire Group, headquartered in Singapore, has a rich heritage in the tire business since 1951. Today, it stands as one of the largest tire companies globally, serving major original equipment vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), auto-service outlets, motorsports teams, tire dealers, and consumers in over 130 countries. The brand’s dedication to quality and its strong partnerships with leading auto manufacturers, such as General Motors, VW, Renault, and Peugeot, make Giti Tire the preferred choice for discerning drivers.
Giti Tire is committed to innovation and excellence in tire manufacturing. With four research and development centers and one testing center, globally, the company invests in advanced technologies and state-of-the-art equipment to consistently ensure the smoothest and safest ride. This focus enables Giti Tire to be the preferred Original Equipment supplier for over 260 passenger car models, and 375 truck and bus models, providing a comprehensive range of options to cater to the diverse needs of its customers.
Ceylinco Life’s Ambalantota branch agent AIP Manjula has been named one of three global finalists for the prestigious Insurance Agent of the Year award at the 11th Asia Trusted Life Agents & Advisers Awards (ATLAA) 2026.
The recognition places a Sri Lankan insurance professional among the finalists in a regional field spanning South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Ceylinco Life said the achievement reflected the calibre and customer-focused approach of its agency force, while recognising Manjula’s professionalism and commitment to policyholders.
The award evaluates insurance agents on criteria extending beyond sales performance, including ethical conduct, client service, policy persistency, digital adoption, innovative practices and contributions to the insurance industry and community.
The awards are organised by Asia Advisers Network and Asia Insurance Review, with LIMRA as co-organiser. An independent judging and balloting process is monitored by KPMG as the official scrutineer. The judging panel comprises senior insurance executives, association presidents and industry experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.
CEAT Kelani Holdings (CKH) has retained its National Long-Term Rating of ‘AA+(lka)’ with a Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings for the sixth consecutive year, reflecting the company’s financial resilience and leading position in Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre market.
The ‘AA+(lka)’ rating, the second-highest on Fitch’s national scale, indicates a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments.
Fitch said CKH’s established market leadership and resilient financial profile remained key strengths, while noting its exposure to price-sensitive, cyclical and highly competitive markets.
The Stable Outlook reflects expectations that the company will maintain its market position despite rising input costs and increasing competition from imported tyres, while preserving adequate credit metrics during periods of weaker earnings and higher investment.
Fitch expects CKH’s established brand, extensive dealer network and adaptive pricing strategies to support its market position. Planned production facility upgrades are also expected to improve product quality, particularly in the radial tyre segment.
The rating agency expects near-term pressure on margins from higher raw material and energy costs but said the company’s low leverage and sound liquidity would provide a cushion.
CKH Chairman Chanaka De Silva said the rating reinforced the company’s focus on disciplined financial management, operational adaptability and long-term investment.
SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise, the enterprise services arm of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, has launched its Premium Cloud service powered by Nutanix, aimed at helping Sri Lankan businesses modernise their IT infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation.
The service was unveiled at the Lanka Tech Summit 2026 held recently at ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo.
The Premium Cloud combines hybrid multi-cloud capabilities with enterprise-grade performance, enabling businesses to run mission-critical workloads, scale cloud deployments and strengthen business continuity through disaster recovery capabilities.
Hosted on SLT-MOBITEL’s Tier III data centre infrastructure, the platform is designed to provide enhanced security, reliability and flexibility while supporting the growing technology requirements of enterprises.
SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise said the platform would also support organisations seeking to adopt AI-ready capabilities and improve the management and performance of IT workloads.
A key feature of the launch was SLT-MOBITEL Enterprise joining the Nutanix Elevate Service Provider Program (NESPP), which the company said made it the first service provider in the region to join the programme.
Powered by Nutanix’s hybrid multicloud platform, the service enables application and data mobility across on-premises environments, public clouds and edge locations.
The company said the partnership combined Nutanix’s cloud technology with SLT-MOBITEL’s local expertise and support, strengthening its multi-cloud portfolio.
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