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KVPL wins prestigious UNV Award for service to plantations communities

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Kelani Valley Plantations General Manager – HR and Corporate Sustainability, Anuruddha Gamage accepting the award from UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Robert Juhkam in the presence of Sharmalee Jayasinghe Country Coordinator of UNV

In celebration of its remarkable positive impacts on estate workers and communities, Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL), a member of the Hayleys Plantations Sector, was honoured with a United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Award in the Corporate Sector category at the 50th United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebrations.

The United Nations Volunteers Sri Lanka presented 50 awards to individuals and organisations that have contributed to the country’s development efforts through volunteerism. This honour marks the first occasion in the Sri Lankan Plantations Sector’s rich 150+ year history that a Regional Plantations Company (RPC) has won a UNV Award, bolstering efforts taken at the source of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic export industries.

“We are honoured by the recognition we have been given and the global visibility this provides our ethically-sourced tea exports. We are grateful for the active participation and unique engagement of our Plantations’ Management to support and care for these communities 24/7, 365 days a year. As a pioneer in sustainable and ethical plantations management, KVPL will continue to make the development of the sector, and all who are connected to it our utmost priority.

“This overall commitment exemplifies the values of the Hayleys Group and is representative of our pioneering HRM model, which transcends traditional approaches to continuously raise the quality of life of our direct workforce and dependents, in collaboration with local and international bodies,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said.

The RPC was recognised for multiple environment protection projects with thousands of volunteers, such as tree planting, organic rubber, and municipal waste compost projects, in addition to conducting awareness programmes on child protection, and developing universal tools for sustainable business practices.

KVPL’s flagship ‘A Home for Every Plantation Worker’ programme is a voluntary holistic commitment across the management, staff and estate workers, supporting the well-being of a 60,000+ strong plantations community. From medical camps to awareness programmes, child and maternal care activities, development work on living facilities, drinking water schemes and other community capacity development initiatives, Kelani Valley Plantations has adopted a relentless multi-pronged approach to safeguarding the interests of its workforce and the broader estate community.

Notably, the company was the first RPC in Sri Lanka to adopt a comprehensive “Child Protection Policy” in partnership with the Save the Children Fund, including establishing child protection focal points and child protection committees.

The past year saw the establishment of voluntary community efforts headed by KVPL Estate Managers to protect lives and overcome the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the potential vulnerability of its workforce and their families to the pandemic, Hayleys Plantations mobilized its entire workforce to raise awareness on measures to prevent COVID-19. As a result, the team was able to complete a 100% vaccination drive in partnership with local health authorities, in turn ensuring zero casualties amongst its estate workers.

“The prolonged lockdowns necessitated by the pandemic threat posed difficulties to estate communities in accessing food and other essentials. Across estates, our team never hesitated to put themselves at the frontline, making a concerted effort to purchase, pack and deliver essential provisions in addition to implementing the required safety and hygiene measures beyond the workforce to the surrounding communities as well. Recognising that income streams would be affected, the team also visited our estate workers’ homes and engaged them in the fields to actively promote the outgrower model,” Kelani Valley Plantations General Manager – HR and Corporate Sustainability, Anuruddha Gamage said.



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Business

AIA delivers strong first half results in 2026; double-digit growth across key financial metrics

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The Board of AIA Group Limited (the “Company”) is pleased to announce the Group’s financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026. Growth rates are shown on a constant exchange rate basis unless otherwise stated:

New business performance and embedded value

Value of new business (VONB) of US$3,212 million, up 10 per cent overall and 14 per cent excluding Thailand(1)

Record high annualised operating ROEV of 18.0 per cent, up from 15.8 per cent in full year 2025

EV Equity of US$83.4 billion, up 6 per cent per share over the first half on an actual exchange rate basis

IFRS earnings

Operating profit after tax (OPAT) of US$4,163 million, up 13 per cent per share

AIA now expects to exceed OPAT per share CAGR target of 9 to 11 per cent from 2023 to 2026(2)

Record high annualised operating ROE of 17.5 per cent, up from 15.5 per cent in full year 2025

Cash generation and capital returns

Underlying free surplus generation (UFSG) of US$3,935 million, increased by 10 per cent per share

Net free surplus generation (net FSG) of US$2,758 million, up 12 per cent per share

US$3.6 billion returned to shareholders in the first half through dividend and share buy-back

Interim dividend increased by 10 per cent to 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share

Lee Yuan Siong, AIA’s Group Chief Executive and President, said:

“AIA has delivered another strong performance in the first half of 2026, with double-digit growth across our key financial metrics, while continuing to return substantial capital to shareholders. VONB reached a record high of US$3.2 billion with growth across all distribution channels, and all reportable segments excluding Thailand. The Group has achieved 17 per cent CAGR since the first half of 2023(3), demonstrating consistently strong demand for AIA’s professional advice and differentiated products.

“At the core of our unrivalled distribution platform is our market-leading Premier Agency. I am delighted that AIA has once again been ranked the number one Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) multinational company globally. We have held this position for a record 12 consecutive years and we have more than double the number of MDRT members of our nearest competitor. In the first half of 2026, our Premier Agency achieved strong VONB growth of 11 per cent excluding Thailand(1). Our extensive network of strategic distribution partners further expands our market reach and generated an 18 per cent increase in VONB, supported by very strong performance in both the bancassurance and independent financial adviser (IFA) and broker channels.

“Strong new business, together with disciplined management of our in-force portfolio, has supported sustained growth in recurring earnings with OPAT per share up by 13 per cent in the first half. As a result, we expect to exceed our 9 to 11 per cent OPAT per share CAGR target for 2023 to 2026(2). UFSG, the Group’s core measure of operating cash generation, increased by 10 per cent per share. After allowing for new business investment, net FSG increased by 12 per cent per share. In accordance with our prudent, sustainable and progressive dividend policy, the Board has declared a 10 per cent increase in the interim dividend to 53.90 Hong Kong cents per share. These achievements demonstrate that our financial strategy is working as intended.

“Asia remains the most compelling growth opportunity for life and health insurance. Powerful structural tailwinds across the region continue to create substantial demand for our professional advice and differentiated products and underpin the exceptional long-term prospects for AIA’s business. I am confident that AIA’s disciplined execution of our strategic priorities will continue to deliver long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.”

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British Council Sri Lanka launches soft skills workshops to elevate learning and empower communication

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The British Council team answering questions on Corporate English Solutions from leading corporates about professional development skills courses

The British Council Sri Lanka has launched Corporate English Solutions (CES), tailored to the Sri Lankan corporate and education ecosystem, aimed at helping organisations strengthen workplace communication and professional development.

The launch event took place recently at the NH Collection, Colombo 3, gathering corporate partners, clients and education stakeholders throughout the country.

CES extends the British Council’s long-standing work in English language education and teacher training into a dedicated offering for the corporate sector. The launch introduced two new components to the British Council’s presence in Sri Lanka such as public workshops and teacher training programmes, open to learners and educators beyond the organisation’s existing corporate and academic partners. Guests at the event were shown a short video introducing Corporate English Solutions before the formal proceedings began.

Talal Meer, British Council Regional Business Development Director, South Asia, welcomed guests and introduced the British Council’s team in Sri Lanka. In his remarks, Meer set out the scope of the CES launch, covering the introduction of public workshops in Sri Lanka, the rollout of teacher training programmes, and an overview of the CES product portfolio. Meer’s role covers educational partnerships in the South Asia region, and his address framed the Sri Lanka launch within the British Council’s broader regional strategy.

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Ogilvy Group tops award tally at ‘Dragons of Sri Lanka’ 2026

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Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka delivered a standout performance at the recently concluded Dragons of Sri Lanka 2026 Awards, securing a total of nine awards comprising two Gold Dragons, one Silver Dragon and six Black Dragons, among the festival’s highest overall award tallies. Gold Dragon wins for Phoenix Ogilvy and Ogilvy Digital, together with the seven additional recognitions across multiple categories, highlighted Ogilvy’s ability to combine creativity, strategic thinking and commercial effectiveness to deliver business results.

Organised by the 4As Sri Lanka, the third edition of Dragons of Sri Lanka shortlisted more than 50 agencies and corporates, making it one of the country’s most competitive marketing communications awards. These local awards, along with the chapters in Malaysia and Pakistan are part of the Dragons of Asia platform, one of the region’s leading programmes for marketing communications effectiveness, with entries being judged on strategy, originality, execution and measurable results.

Ogilvy Digital accounted for eight awards in total, including a Gold Dragon in the Business & Trade Marketing category, and a Silver Dragon in the Innovative Idea or Concept category. The Agency additionally received six Black Dragons across the categories of Innovative Idea or Concept, Business & Trade Marketing, Content Creation, Small Budget, Event or Experiential, and Brand Trial or Sales Generation.

Commenting on the achievement, Sajith Weerasinghe, Chief Operating Officer of Ogilvy Digital, said, “These recognitions reflect the breadth of capabilities we’ve built across strategy, creative, content, experience design, technology and performance marketing. The fact that the work was recognised across so many different disciplines demonstrates our ability to apply creativity to a wide range of business challenges and objectives. We’re proud that this achievement spans multiple clients, categories and types of work, reflecting both the versatility of our people and our commitment to delivering results.”

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