Business
From field to export markets: Rubber farmers see their latex transformed at CEAT Kelani
The transformative journey of rubber from the milky liquid latex tapped from the Hevea brasiliensis tree to sophisticated high-demand finished products in the global market is one that farmers know of, but don’t often witness first hand, a situation that one major user of natural rubber in Sri Lanka is now rectifying.
CEAT Kelani Holdings, which manufactures nearly half of Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre requirements, has started hosting rubber cultivators for conducted tours of the company’s extensive manufacturing complex in Kelaniya, providing them with an insight into the intricacies of producing high-performance tyres for the domestic and export markets.
The first group of 45 rubber farmers and dealers from areas such as Padukka, Horana, Avissawella, Eheliyagoda, Ratnapura, Akuressa, Kegalle, Yatiyantota, Gonagaldeniya and Ruwanwella that visited the CEAT Kelani factory recently was briefed on the processes relating to the procurement of natural rubber, the stringent quality tests conducted on incoming rubber, the extreme care taken in storage of the precious raw material, the first-in- first out (FIFO) method used in inventory management and the entire manufacturing process from inception to completion.
A comprehensive demonstration of the in-process quality checks at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility underscored the importance of maintaining consistently superior quality in the supply of natural rubber. A detailed presentation on the use of natural rubber in manufacturing and its impact on the quality of tyres, provided farmers an eye-opener on how a small miss in the tapping of rubber could impact product quality.
Commenting on this initiative, CEAT Kelani Holdings Managing Director Ravi Dadlani said: “We purchase 100 per cent of our natural rubber requirements from local producers and so our success is important to the cultivators, a point that was effectively communicated in this relationship strengthening exercise. We were encouraged by the level of interest shown by the rubber farmers and dealers, and their grasp of the importance of maintaining quality in the entire supply chain.”
Emphasising the importance accorded by the company to the visit, the rubber farmers and dealers were welcomed by the senior management team of CEAT Kelani led by Dadlani and Director Eraj Fernando.
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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