Business
CEAT Kelani boosts earnings of local rubber industry
CEAT Kelani representatives conducting training for rubber suppliers.
Increased production to meet local demand has enabled CEAT Kelani Holdings to increase its monthly purchases of natural rubber in the domestic market by as much as 35 per cent by September, the country’s leading tyre manufacturer has disclosed.
The company, which sources all of its natural rubber requirements locally, said its purchases in September 2020 alone would reach 500 tonnes (500,000kgs), generating Rs 150 million in revenue for Sri Lankan producers in areas such as Kegalle, Kalutara, Ratnapura and Monaragala.
In the pre-pandemic months of December 2019 to February 2020, CEAT Kelani’s purchases of rubber averaged 366 tonnes a month, generating average monthly revenue of Rs 107 million for local suppliers, the Company said.
“One of the major reasons for CEAT Kelani’s existence in Sri Lanka is the availability of natural rubber, and we have always been focussed on maximising local value addition,” the company’s Managing Director Ravi Dadlani observed. “With our ramping up of production in response to the temporary import restrictions imposed by the government, our contribution to local natural rubber producers has increased sharply, by as much as 40 per cent in value terms in just seven months.”
Increased production of truck, bus, radial and two-wheeler tyres by CEAT, while supporting the government’s efforts to conserve foreign exchange through import substitution, would also help local industry achieve the ‘V’ shaped post-pandemic recovery that is expected of it, Dadlani said.
CEAT Kelani engages with a base of nearly 30 dealers for the purchase of natural RSS rubber and interacts with them on daily basis. Besides daily procurement transactions, the Company imparts knowhow to the dealers to help them improve the quality of RSS grades. “We periodically audit dealers’ operations and help them maintain high quality standards,” Mr Dadlani added. “As a result many of our dealers are now recognised as “CEAT approved NR dealers.” This recognition not only helps them to be consistent suppliers to CEAT Kelani, it also helps them to establish themselves as quality suppliers of RSS grades to rest of the local industry.”
CEAT’s ramping up of production of truck and bus tyres since the start of the pandemic-linked lockdown has resulted in the Company now producing 100 per cent of the segment’s requirements and enabled the government to make a saving of Rs 11 billion a year in foreign exchange. The Company has also achieved an 85 per cent increase in the production of tyres for the ‘two-wheeler’ segment over the past three months; enabling a further saving of Rs 350 million a year through import substitution.
CEAT Kelani can currently produce two million tyres annually across multiple categories, and an addition of a further 200,000 Car and Van Radial tyres is imminent with new machinery being installed, pending the arrival of foreign technologists to commission the additional capacity.
Notably, CEAT Kelani Holdings has kept the prices of its tyres unchanged since December 2019 to support customers and the economy, despite the additional investments made in increasing capacity and an increase in market prices due to demand.
CEAT Kelani Holdings is considered one of the most successful India – Sri Lanka joint ventures in the manufacturing sector. The joint venture’s cumulative investment in Sri Lanka to date totals Rs 8 billion, inclusive of Rs 3 billion committed in January 2018 for expansion of volumes, technology upgrades and new product development. The company’s manufacturing operations in Sri Lanka encompass pneumatic tyres in the radial (passenger cars, vans and SUVs), commercial (Bias-ply and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments.
At its 2026 Social Sustainability Programme Kick-Off, the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka convened business leaders to advance the translation of global ambition into practical corporate action on inclusion, integrity and human rights.
On 24 February 2026, the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka (Network Sri Lanka) convened business leaders at Barefoot Garden Café for its 2026 Social Sustainability Programme Kick-Off, delivered in collaboration with Good Life X.
The gathering did more than introduce a calendar of events. It positioned Sri Lanka’s corporate community within the broader direction of the UN Global Compact’s 2026–2030 global strategy — a strategy anchored in three imperatives: equipping companies to act, catalyzing collective action, and advancing the business case for responsible leadership.
At its core, the 2026 Social Sustainability agenda is designed to move companies from commitment to capability.
Within the Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, this means building practical pathways toward equal pay for equal work and strengthening male allyship as a governance issue rather than a cultural afterthought. It means examining sexual and reproductive health, disability inclusion, and mental health not as employee benefits, but as structural determinants of productivity and retention. It means sharpening strategic communications so inclusion is embedded in brand integrity. It also means applying science-based behavioural change approaches to shift organizational culture in measurable ways.
Across the Business & Human Rights Working Group, equipping companies takes the form of deepened engagement on decent work and living wage implementation, strengthening human rights due diligence processes, and addressing emerging risk areas such as AI and digital rights. It extends to reinforcing business integrity and anti-corruption frameworks, understanding the social dimensions of a just transition, and recognizing the link between child rights, nutrition, and workforce productivity.
Union Bank of Colombo PLC announced its proposed Debenture Issue 2026, a strategic move aimed at raising up to LKR 3 billion. This issue is designed to bolster the Bank’s Tier II capital base and provide a robust financial foundation for its upcoming growth initiatives.
The offering consists of Basel III compliant, listed, rated, unsecured, subordinated, redeemable high-yield debentures with Non-Viability Conversion. The instrument has been assigned a rating of BB (lka) by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd, reflecting the bank’s creditworthiness and the structured nature of the subordinated debt.
Investors can choose from three distinct interest structures starting from a high-yield 13% fixed rate per annum (Type A). This option is paid annually, while Type B offers a 12.5% fixed rate paid semi-annually (12.89% AER). For those seeking market-linked returns, Type C provides a floating rate of the 182-days Treasury Bill rate plus a 400-basis point margin, also paid semi-annually.
The debentures are priced at LKR 100 per unit with a 5-year tenure (2026–2031). The initial issue size is set at 20,000,000 debentures with an option to raise 10,000,000 at the discretion of the Bank and is scheduled to open on 10 March 2026.
Shanka Abeywardene, Chief Financial Officer of Union Bank stated “This debenture issue marks a significant step in the Bank’s journey towards enhanced financial stability. By strengthening its capital adequacy, Union Bank is well-positioned to navigate evolving market conditions while fuelling its long-term strategic objectives for sustainable growth”
WindForce PLC announced the appointment of Sanjay Kulatunga as an Independent, Non-Executive Director to its Board with effect from 03rd March 2026, following the resignation of Dilshan Hettiaratchi. The appointment further strengthens the Company’s governance framework, strategic oversight, and long-term decision-making capabilities.
Kulatunga brings an established track record as a founder, entrepreneur, and senior executive across financial services and export-oriented industries. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of LYNEAR Wealth Management, a boutique investment firm established in 2013, which has since grown to become one of Sri Lanka’s largest private wealth management institutions, serving high-net-worth individuals as well as local and international institutional clients.
Prior to founding LYNEAR, Kulatunga played a pivotal role in the establishment of Amba Research, an investment research offshoring firm rooted in Sri Lanka and now operating as part of Acuity Analytics.
Over the years, he has contributed extensively to several key national institutions. His previous appointments include serving on the Financial Sector Stability Consultative Committee of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, as well as the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka.
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