DIMO celebrated DIMO KNIGHTS 2026, recognizing employees whose exceptional dedication, leadership, innovation, and commitment continue to shape the organization’s success. More than an employee recognition event, DIMO KNIGHTS reflects DIMO’s unwavering commitment to cultivating a workplace where people are empowered to thrive, reinforcing the Employee Value Proposition of ‘Making Work Enjoyable and Rewarding’ while bringing its Corporate Purpose of Fuelling Dreams and Aspirations to life.

Held under the theme “Illuminating Leadership, Inspiring Achievement,” the event celebrated individuals who exemplify DIMO’s values and inspire excellence across the organization. By recognizing those who consistently go above and beyond, DIMO continues to foster a high-performance culture where people are empowered to innovate, lead, and create meaningful impact.

A highlight of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Mr. Ravi Kant, former Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Tata Motors India, who shared valuable insights on leadership, organizational transformation, and building resilient organizations capable of sustaining long-term success.

Commenting on the event, Ms. Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya, Executive Director / Chief Human Resources Officer of DIMO, said: “Our Tribe is the driving force behind DIMO’s continued success. DIMO KNIGHTS is more than a celebration of outstanding performance; it is a reflection of the culture we strive to build every day. By recognizing and empowering our people, we reinforce our Employee Value Proposition of ‘Making Work Enjoyable and Rewarding’ while bringing our Corporate Purpose to life. When our people grow, innovate, and thrive, they create lasting value for our customers, partners, and the communities we serve.”

DIMO KNIGHTS reinforces the organization’s people-first philosophy by fostering a culture of appreciation, continuous learning, and purposeful leadership. The programme reflects DIMO’s conviction that when employees are empowered, recognized, and inspired to excel, they shape the future of the organization through innovation, collaboration, and sustained excellence, strengthening a high-performing culture that delivers lasting value, drives sustainable business success, and reinforces DIMO’s position as an employer of choice.

The evening recognized employees across a wide range of categories, celebrating outstanding performance, innovation, collaboration, customer focus, and leadership. The ceremony culminated with the presentation of the prestigious Innovator of the Year and Employee of the Year awards, with the Employee of the Year accolade presented to Mr. Chathura Gunasekera.

As DIMO continues to invest in developing exceptional talent, initiatives such as DIMO KNIGHTS reaffirm the organization’s belief that sustainable business success begins with its people. By creating an environment where individuals are recognized, empowered, and inspired to achieve their full potential, DIMO continues to cultivate a purpose-driven, high-performing workforce that is equipped to shape the future of the organization while delivering lasting value to all stakeholders.

Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC announced that its maiden listed, rated, unsecured, senior

redeemable debenture issue was oversubscribed on its opening day, 15th September 2026.

The Company sought to raise Rs. 3 billion through an initial issuance of 30 million debentures at Rs.

100 each, with an option to issue a further 20 million debentures in the event of oversubscription of the initial issue, increasing the total issue size to Rs. 5 billion.

The Company said it had received applications for more than 50 million debentures, the full amount on offer, prompting the issue to close at 4:30 p.m. on the opening day (15).

The basis of allotment will be announced to the Colombo Stock Exchange as per regulatory requirements in due course.

By Ifham Nizam

The widening gap between climate commitments and actual projects on the ground has come under the spotlight in Colombo, with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) calling for a decisive shift from pledges and plans towards implementation, investment and measurable climate impact across Asia.

Some 150 climate leaders, government representatives and development partners from East and South Asia have gathered in Colombo for the GCF’s Regional Dialogue, as developing economies across the region seek greater access to climate finance to strengthen resilience, accelerate clean investment and protect vulnerable communities from intensifying climate impacts.

The dialogue has also given Sri Lanka an important platform to highlight the financing challenge confronting a climate-vulnerable economy seeking to strengthen resilience while rebuilding economic capacity.

Opening the dialogue, Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi called for moving ‘from pledges to projects, from plans to implementation, and from ambition to impact,’ stressing that transformative climate action would require stronger partnerships, increased climate finance and greater support for adaptation.

His message carries particular significance for Sri Lanka, where climate-related disasters increasingly threaten agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, livelihoods and economic activity.

For a country with limited fiscal space, financing climate resilience entirely through domestic resources remains a major challenge. International climate finance therefore has the potential to become an important source of investment for projects designed not only to reduce emissions but also to protect communities and economic assets from increasingly severe climate shocks.

The Colombo dialogue provides an opportunity for Sri Lanka to strengthen its engagement with the GCF and other development partners while highlighting the need to convert national climate priorities into credible, investment-ready projects.

The GCF said its portfolio across Asia and the Pacific currently comprises 129 projects in 36 countries, supported by USD 5.8 billion in GCF financing. It has also approved USD 163 million in Readiness support to help countries strengthen their institutional capacity and ability to access climate finance.

These figures underline the growing scale of climate investment in the region, but they also highlight the importance of countries developing strong project pipelines capable of converting available finance into implementation.

For Sri Lanka, this is likely to be one of the most important dimensions of the current climate-finance discussion.

Projects aimed at strengthening climate-resilient agriculture, water management, disaster-risk reduction, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure and ecosystem protection require significant upfront investment.

Access to concessional and climate-focused international finance could help reduce the burden on public finances while enabling projects with long-term economic and environmental returns.

The need for adaptation finance was reinforced by the opening of the Colombo dialogue, which began with a moment of remembrance for those affected by last month’s glacial flood disaster in Nepal.

For Sri Lanka, a more country-responsive climate-finance system could be particularly valuable at a time when investment needs are high but public resources remain constrained.

As the GCF begins its third replenishment, the real measure of the next phase will therefore be whether climate finance can move faster from international commitments to national projects—and ultimately from project documents to tangible results on the ground.