Business
Sri Lanka Tourism’s ‘So Sri Lanka’ film wins Viral Brand Film of the Year
Wunderman Thompson’s ‘So Sri Lanka – Wild Guides’ viral film for Sri Lanka Tourism took home the coveted award for ‘Best Viral film’ in the Brand Film Awards in London recently.
Hosted by PR Week and Campaign, the Brand Film Awards is a prestigious award that celebrates the use of branded content within marketing. Not only did Wild Guides pick up the Viral Film Award, it was also recognised as a finalist in the consumer goods category.
‘Wild Guides’ was a first of its kind digital PR film experience brought to life by a BAFTA and Emmy Award winning team of nature film makers was designed to communicate the new destination identity, ‘So Sri Lanka’; the film delivered unprecedented success with a combined reach of over 2.5 billion across key international markets last year.
“Sri Lanka continues to grow into her fullest tourism potential and this film was strategically developed to appeal to the higher value independent travelers that are only just discovering our island home. It was important to capture the pristine charm, natural wonders and rich history of Sri Lanka while also capturing the emotion of the island; our family values, our nurturing qualities and our unhurried, delightful love of life was equally important to communicate in a way that differentiates us from our Asian neighbors” said Alyna Haji Omar, CEO of Wunderman Thompson Sri Lanka. She added “We believed that in a world where destination products are consumed through the many filters of authenticity, values and purpose it is so important to create an emotional story that can capture the hearts and imagination of people across the world”.
The film idea was developed and executed by Wunderman Thompson Sri Lanka in partnership with their global PR partners BCW London in collaboration with Freeborne Media UK whose projects include the Emmy Award and BAFTA-winning series Blue Planet II, the Emmy Award-nominated series Wild New Zealand with National Geographic (U.S. TV channel), and the BAFTA-winning BBC1 series Big Blue Live with PBS.
Alyna added “We are a world beating island destination and Wunderman Thompson is incredibly proud of the world beating talent that collaborated to create another first for Sri Lanka – incidentally this is also the first time a Sri Lankan brand has ever won this award & I want to congratulate Sri Lanka Tourism on the vision and commitment it took to bring this spectacular perspective of our blessed island to life”.
To entice experience-seeking travellers to visit Sri Lanka – named by Lonely Planet as the best country in the world to visit in 2019 – the film captures Sri Lanka’s stunning landscapes and vibrant culture from the viewpoint of the country’s most extraordinary inhabitants: its wildlife. The film includes ‘up close and personal’ footage shot with (and by!) some of Sri Lanka’s most iconic residents – including elephants, turtles, leopards, blue whales and fishing cats.
The captivating three-minute film takes us on a wild journey across our island nation’s stunning landscapes. Footage includes following a newly hatched sea-turtle’s journey to the sea on the endless white-sand beaches of the south coast, to getting a soaring “eagle”-eye view of the spectacular ancient Sigiriya rock fortress; and watching the world’s largest elephants travel in their home in the sprawling Udawalawe National Park, as well as witnessing doves waking with the vibrant sunrise over Colombo.
Director and producer of the short film, Nicola Brown, said: “Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country with incredible wildlife and we thought a great way of telling its story visually would be from the perspective of its animals. To achieve this, we utilised natural history filming techniques and technology to capture an immersive view of Sri Lanka that would put the viewer in their world. We also had an opportunity to put the cameras in the animal’s world – literally. Cheeky toque macaque monkeys in Polonnaruwa quickly learned how to unscrew our camera rigs and even ran away with our kit!”
The new ‘So Sri Lanka’ branding, developed by Wunderman Thompson together with Landor, was revealed at the World Travel Market in London in November 2018 and marked the start of Sri Lanka’s fresh approach to destination marketing. The film, which brings the new branding to life, and premiered at ITB Berlin 2019 can be watched here:
Business
Janashakthi Life delivers 36% revenue growth, ‘outperforming the industry’
Janashakthi Life, the flagship company of JXG (Janashakthi Group), delivered a strong first-half performance in 2026, with Gross Written Premiums (GWP) increasing by 36% year-on-year to Rs. 5.11 billion. The Company’s growth significantly outpaced the industry’s 20.8% growth during the period, reflecting continued demand for its life insurance solutions and progress in expanding its customer base and strengthening its market presence.
The Company’s balance sheet also continued to expand, with total assets increasing to Rs. 41.14 billion as at Q2 2026, compared to Rs. 40.37 billion at the end of 2025. The growth reflects the continued scale of the business and provides a stronger platform to serve an expanding policyholder base while investing in the capabilities required to support its next phase of growth.
During the first half, Janashakthi Life paid Rs. 2.24 billion in claims and benefits, reaffirming its commitment to supporting policyholders when it matters most. These payments provide essential financial support at critical moments in the lives of individuals and families, highlighting the vital role of life insurance in protecting their financial wellbeing and long-term security.
The Company remained profitable during the period, recording Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 271 million, excluding the surplus transfer for the period. With the declaration of the surplus transfer, profitability is expected to be substantially higher. Janashakthi Life remains focused on strengthening earnings quality, managing costs effectively, and translating business growth into sustained improvements in overall performance.
Annika Senanayake, Chairperson of Janashakthi Insurance PLC, said, “The performance in the first half reflects the strength of Janashakthi Life’s business and the opportunities that exist to further develop the life insurance market in Sri Lanka. We remain focused on building a business that combines sustainable growth with sound fundamentals, while making insurance more accessible to a wider segment of the population. As part of JXG, Janashakthi Life is well positioned to leverage the Group’s financial services ecosystem and continue strengthening its position in the market.”
Ravi Liyanage, Director/CEO of Janashakthi Insurance PLC, said, “The first half delivered strong growth across key areas of the business, with GWP increasing 36% to Rs. 5.11 billion. In all key segments, namely regular business, group life business and single premium business, the Company has outperformed the industry significantly, demonstrating its market challenger behaviour. The Company is strengthening its stability, crossing LKR 41 billion in assets under management. Our focus now is on building on this momentum through stronger distribution, improved productivity and disciplined cost management, while continuing to enhance the customer experience by providing an unmatched service throughout the lifespan of the service contract.”
The first-half performance provides a strong platform for Janashakthi Life to build on its growth plans for the remainder of the year. The Company will continue to focus on expanding access to life insurance, strengthening customer relationships and developing solutions that respond to changing financial priorities.
With GWP growth significantly ahead of the industry, a growing asset base and increased claims and benefits delivered to policyholders, Janashakthi Life continues to build scale across its core operations. The Company remains focused on disciplined growth, stronger execution and improving the quality of its performance, with the objective of creating sustainable value for policyholders, shareholders and the wider business.
Further reinforcing its strong market standing, Janashakthi Life was recognised among Sri Lanka’s 50 Best Workplaces™ for 2026 by Great Place To Work® Sri Lanka and was also named among Brand Finance’s Sri Lanka 100 Most Valuable Brands. These recognitions reflect the Company’s continued focus on building a strong brand, delivering value to customers and creating a high-performing organisation. (JXG)
Business
Hunas Holdings and CCH enter strategic collaborative partnership
Major Japanese business group sees long-term potential in Hunas Holdings as the two organisations explore new opportunities for growth in Sri Lanka
Hunas Holdings PLC is entering a new phase of growth through a collaborative partnership with CCH Co., Ltd. (CCH INC.), a major Tokyo-based business group with experience across business process outsourcing (BPO), in-house services, investment, mergers and acquisitions, and business development.
The partnership follows a period in which Hunas Holdings maintained a measured approach to new investments amid volatile market conditions, focusing on identifying the right opportunities and international relationships capable of creating sustainable long-term value.
Founded in Japan in 2008, CCH has grown into a significant and diversified business group with interests across multiple industries. Its approach combines investment with M&A, business development and operational expertise, enabling the company to play an active role in the businesses and markets it enters.
For CCH, the partnership represents an opportunity to bring this experience to Sri Lanka through Hunas Holdings, an established local group with a strong platform and long-term growth ambitions.
Yoshihiko Tanabe, Director of CCH Co., Ltd., said: “Through our discussions with Hunas Holdings, we see a company with strong foundations, local expertise and a clear ambition for growth. We believe there is meaningful potential in bringing the strengths of CCH and Hunas Holdings together. I am excited about this partnership, and particularly about some of the projects and opportunities we are already exploring together. There is much to look forward to soon”
For Hunas Holdings, the collaboration marks a renewed chapter of investment and international partnership, while for CCH, it reflects confidence in Hunas Holdings and the opportunities presented by the Sri Lankan market.
Business
Prime Minister to headline Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit session
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, will deliver the keynote address at a special session on day 2 of the Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026 organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, titled “Nation Building in the Digital Age”, on 13 October 2026 at the Shangri-La Colombo.
The session will examine how Sri Lanka can use artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation and education to accelerate economic growth, improve productivity and build a knowledge-driven economy. As technology reshapes industries and the nature of work, the discussion will focus on how Sri Lanka can develop the capabilities needed to remain competitive and create opportunities for future generations.
The Prime Minister will be joined by Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy; Prof. Roshan Ragel, Senior Lecturer in Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya; and Sanjay Shah, Founder and CEO, Elevante AI, who together will add perspectives from government, academia, and industry. Vinod Hirdaramani, Chairman of Hirdaramani Group and Deputy Vice Chairperson of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, will moderate the session.
The discussion will look at the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation, and their potential to transform industries and create new areas of economic activity. It will also consider the role of digitalisation in improving public services and supporting entrepreneurship.
Education and skills development will be another important part of the conversation, particularly as the demand for new capabilities grows alongside technological change. The panel will consider how Sri Lanka can prepare its workforce for future jobs while developing an environment that supports innovation and technology-led businesses.
The session will also look beyond technology itself to the wider conditions needed for a digital economy to grow. Policy, investment, infrastructure, education and collaboration between government, industry and academia will all have a role in determining how effectively Sri Lanka can turn technological change into economic opportunity.
Held under the theme “Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy,” SLEIS 2026 will offer perspectives from senior policymakers, business leaders, investors and international experts over two days of discussions on Sri Lanka’s economic direction, investment opportunities and the reforms needed to support future growth.
Registrations are now open at https://sleis.chamber.lk/. For more information, contact Alikie on 011 558 8805 (alikie@chamber.lk) or Shanuka on 0701082541 (events.division@chamber.lk).
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