Business
PLC Champions Aspirations: Gift of running shoes uplifts CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College athletes
People’s Leasing & Finance PLC (PLC) – Sri Lanka’s leading non-banking financial services provider – continues its commitment to social responsibility with a recent project to support the sporting passions and aspirations of rural schoolchildren, leaving a lasting impact on the community. The project involved the donation of spiked running shoes to athletes of the sports academy at CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College, Menikhinna.
This project was inspired as a result of PLC’s support of Ms. Tharushi Senarathna, the accomplished female athlete who recently brought pride to Sri Lanka by winning a gold medal in the Women’s 800m at the Asian Games. As an alumna of CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College, Ms. Senarathna’s success exemplifies the school’s commitment to producing high-achieving athletes.
In fact, the athletes at CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College have consistently demonstrated excellence by securing victories in all-island school competitions and earning numerous medals at national-level athletic events. Recognizing the dedication and talent of these students, PLC undertook this initiative to provide much-needed running shoes to the athletes.
As communicated by the Principal of CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College, where a dynamic group of over 70 students actively engages in athletics, PLC, has extended its support to a selected group of deserving athletes, identified for their commitment and talent, now have the essential athletic gear required to pursue and excel in their passion for sports. PLC, through this strategic collaboration, continues to demonstrate its commitment to nurturing and empowering talented individuals within the community, contributing to the development of aspiring athletes.
CEO and General Manager, Mr. Shamindra Marcelline commented saying, “At PLC, we believe in helping people; no matter who they are, we want to support people and take a risk on their behalf so they can shine as stars and bring glory to themselves and the country. This social upliftment project thus reflects our dedication to empowering the younger generation, fostering talent, and contributing to their holistic development. We are proud to support the athletes of CP/W/A Rathnayaka Central College and contribute to their educational journey. We wish them all the very best and hope to see some rising stars in the future. Furthermore, we are also willing to provide up to three employment opportunities for students from the school, annually. This opportunity is open to promising students, providing them the benefit to chase their aspirations in sports and pursue a fulfilling career to secure financial support.
Athletes face an increased risk of injuries, some with the potential for permanent or partial disability, impacting both their performance and income. Recognizing these challenges, PLC has offered Ms. Tharushi Senarathna a complimentary and comprehensive disability insurance plan, valid for the next 10 years. This coverage ensures that in the event of any incidents occurring within the next decade, she retains the ability to make a claim. Additionally, PLC is providing internal employment opportunities to contribute to securing her financial stability while she continues to pursue her sports career. Such initiatives, aligned with broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and goals, underscore PLC’s commitment to responsible corporate practices, positively influencing the future generations of Sri Lanka.
About PLC
People’s Leasing & Finance PLC, a licensed non-banking financial institution in Sri Lanka, is renowned for its innovation and unwavering commitment to providing tailored financial solutions. With a solid foundation, a diverse product portfolio, and a commitment to excellence, PLC has emerged as a leader in the financial services sector. As a subsidiary of People’s Bank, PLC continues to strengthen its position as a trusted and respected provider of financial services, fostering growth and prosperity for the people of Sri Lanka.
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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