Business
Ideal Motors triumphs at Mahindra Global eTekFest 2020-21
Recognised as the team came together to excel in their performance
The Team powered by Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd triumphed with a host of prestigious awards at the Mahindra Global eTekfest International Tournament 2020-21 held recently. Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd is Sri Lanka’s premier automotive solutions provider and the sole authorized dealer for Mahindra and Mahindra in the country.
Organized annually by the Mahindra Institute of Learning and Excellence (MILE), Igatpuri, Maharashtra, this year’s competition was held via online platforms and featured participants from 22 countries worldwide in markets which Mahindra operates in. The Sri Lankan Team emerged victorious showcasing their stellar knowledge and experience.
Candidates from Ideal Motors competed in various categories such as Executive Service category, Diagnostic Expert Commercial category and Technical Commercial category.
Clinching several awards were Thushara Ramanayaka from Ideal First Choice who was the winner in the ‘Diagnostic Expert Commercial Vehicles’ category while Subodha Weerasekara was awarded the 2nd Runner-up trophy. Winning First Prize for the ‘Technical Commercial Category’ was K.A.D.N Chamara.
Moreover, bringing further prestige to the company, Indika Wedage and Buddhika Bandara were awarded the Platinum Award for ‘Improving the Service Network Quality at selected set-ups to handle KUV 100’. These recipients were recognized for their tireless contribution towards commissioning the service centers for the KUV100 Mini SUV.
The participants of this tournament competed locally and emerged winners to enter the competition at regional level and were candidates at the international tournament to be finally selected as winners on a global scale.
Under the leadership of Ideal Group Founder and Chairman Nalin Welgama, Deputy Chairman Aravinda de Silva and Director Chaminda Wanigaratne, and together with a dedicated staff of over 300 personnel, Ideal Motors provides superlative services for its motor vehicle customers.
As the leader in the light vehicles category, Ideal Motors achieved another milestone in its history when in 2019 the company ventured into the small SUV segment. In Welipenna, in the Kalutara district, a state- Motors began assembling the popular Mahindra KUV100 Mini SUV.
Business
FRELLA launches world class wellness products locally with Baurs & Co.
FRELLA, Sri Lankan-born and internationally-respected natural beauty and wellness brand, is setting the stage to expand operations by entering the Sri Lankan retail market. As the country’s only dedicated wellness company operating at an international scale, this move marks a new chapter for a brand with a growing global presence that has already earned the trust of luxury hotels and international customers.
For over seven years, FRELLA has emerged as Sri Lanka’s leading wellness brand, serving clients and partners across more than 15 international markets. The brand’s entry into the Sri Lankan retail market marks a significant milestone, allowing local consumers to access globally respected wellness products developed from the island’s own healing traditions. This retail expansion is supported through a strategic partnership with Baurs, a trusted 170-year-old Swedish multinational company, ensuring sophisticated distribution and access aligned with international retail standards.
FRELLA is rooted in Sri Lanka’s ancient healing traditions and inspired by centuries-old Ayurvedic wisdom. All FRELLA products are specially designed as holistic wellness solutions for the body, skin, hair, and soul, and focuses on providing nourishment, balance, and healthy aging through refined, modern wellness systems.
Business
Writer Business Services enters Sri Lanka to partner with institutions to provide information management and payments solutions
Writer Corporation, one of India’s leading business groups, announced the launch of its subsidiary, Writer Business Services Pvt. Ltd., and the commencement of its operations in Sri Lanka. The expansion reflects Sri Lanka’s strategic importance in Writer’s regional growth plans and its role in supporting a highly regulated digital and financial services market which is currently undergoing digital transformation.
Sri Lanka’s continued focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks, digital platforms, and financial systems is shaping how institutions across banking, government, and enterprise sectors approach their business operations. There is a clear emphasis on secure, compliant, and resilient information and transaction environments that can scale with regulatory and business needs. Writer’s entry into Sri Lanka aligns with this direction, bringing global experience and a partnership-led approach to the market.
As part of its launch, Writer will establish a secure records and information storage facility in Seeduwa, Colombo. Designed to meet global standards for security, compliance, and disaster resilience, the facility will support banks, financial institutions, government bodies, and large enterprises in managing physical and digital information across its lifecycle.
Alongside information management, Writer brings established expertise in integrated payment services to support the modernization of transaction infrastructure across the banking and financial services sector. Its payments capabilities focus on strengthening availability, transaction continuity, and transparency across critical payment channels that underpin institutional reliability and customer confidence.
Writer’s digital payments offerings in Sri Lanka include end-to-end ATM and self-service terminal outsourcing, integrated channel ownership and managed services, field management applications, payment and reconciliation platforms, and remote monitoring with near real-time reporting. These solutions support financial institutions in improving uptime, strengthening governance, and enhancing operational efficiency across payment networks, in line with the continued evolution of electronic and automated payment systems.
Across information management and payments, Writer operates with an integrated portfolio spanning records and information management, business process outsourcing, cloud and digital services, data privacy, cybersecurity and enterprise payments infrastructure. These capabilities support institutions in addressing evolving regulatory requirements, digitization of legacy environments, and rising operational and cyber risks.
Writer’s local presence enables closer collaboration with clients and on-ground delivery, while supporting the development of Centres of Excellence across cybersecurity operations, SOC and NOC services, AI-led solutions, and payments operations and monitoring.
Writer’s Sri Lanka operations will be built, led, and run by Sri Lankan professionals, reflecting a long-term commitment to local talent growth and development.
Commenting on this development, Satyamohan Yanambaka, CEO, Writer Global Services Pvt. Ltd., assured Writer’s long-term commitment to the country’s digital ambitions. He said, “Writer’s entry into Sri Lanka reflects our belief that digital ambition in regulated environments must be supported by trust, sound governance, and strong execution. As institutions scale digital services, the reliability of information and payment systems, channel operations, and governance frameworks becomes increasingly important to public and institutional confidence. Our experience across information management, digital transformation, and enterprise payments enables us to support secure, large-scale financial ecosystems, with a clear commitment to building and leading these capabilities locally.”
Sri Lanka’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework raises expectations around how personal and sensitive information is secured and governed.
Business
Altair issues over 100+ title deeds post-ownership change
Altair Residences have, over the past six months, seen more than 100 individual title deeds being executed by apartment owners, providing owners with a clear, registered, legal title to their apartments in accordance with Sri Lankan property law. This has been a key initiative by the new owners and management of Altair to improve governance and will continue in an orderly manner in the coming months.
With the transition of ownership to Blackstone India, Altair’s Management Council has also been formally constituted, enabling owners to play an active and proactive role in the management of the Altair building. In addition, the management council has appointed Realty Management Services (RMS), a subsidiary of Overseas Realty Ceylon PLC, as the new facility manager of Altair.
Commenting on these milestones, Thilan Wijesinghe, Chairman of TWC Holdings, who, together with a team from TWC, represents Blackstone’s interests in Sri Lanka, said, “The issuance of individual title deeds is a critical step in any professionally developed residential asset. Over the past six months, this process at Altair has moved forward in a structured and transparent manner, alongside the formal establishment of owner-led governance. This, combined with the appointment of experienced facility managers are fundamental building block for long-term value-creation for apartment owners and proper asset stewardship.”
With ongoing improvements to the building being undertaken by Indocean Developers Pvt Ltd (IDPL), the owning company of Altair, the issuance of deeds to owners is expected to accelerate over the coming months.
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