Business

Different Offers Equity to All Colombo-office Staff

Published

5 years ago

2020/12/20

Different Technologies, one of Australia’s hottest new global startups, will starting from January 2021, s offer all permanent employees equity in the firm, which is backed by Australia’s largest VC firm AirTree Ventures, and Silicon Valley’s Foundation Capital.

The company said it is “taking this decisive step because it believes that investing in its employees and ensuring their stability and security is not only the right thing to do, but also a smart business decision.”

“Particularly in the uncertain economic climate that has arisen in the aftermath of COVID-19, we want our employees to think like owners,” said Co-founder of :Different, Ruwin Perera, a former Director at Softbank. “We have built our company around people, and we want those people with us for the long run. Offering all our employees equity in our firm is a chance for us to let them grow with us, just like our investors. You can tell a lot about a company by where it focuses its resources and in our case we believe that investing in our employees will pay dividends in the long run. Ultimately, we’re building this company together and rather than simply paying lip service to this idea; we wanted to take action!”

“:Different has always been a great company to work for, but the new equity offer is just amazing,” said Deegha Galkissa, a member of the Engineering team at :Different’s Colombo office. “Feeling that you’re a part of a team is nice but knowing that you’re a part-owner of the company you work for is something else entirely.”

This sentiment was also echoed by Mark Sinnathamby, another member of the Engineering team. “Giving equity to all employees is not something you see every day in Sri Lanka and I’m just proud to be a part of the company that has made it happen. Coming into work definitely feels different, now that I’m a shareholder in my company!”

:Different’s VP of Engineering, Hasitha Liyanage is no stranger to start-ups that eventually became big names in Sri Lanka, like MIT, Sysco Labs. Liyanage spoke more on the rationale behind sharing equity and how it is also a personal decision for him, “I wish someone had offered this to me when I was a Junior Developer! It cannot be overstated, the best way to encourage employees to think and act like owners is to actually make them owners!”

:Different’s Country HR Business Partner, Kalpika Abayasekera explained that all current staff are automatically enrolled in this scheme, with a specific up-front entitlement to the equity on offer, “We felt it was absolutely necessary to reward the team that has been through the growing pains of a start-up. These shares are issued on a four-year maturity which also encourages the team to see their tenure as quite literally a long-term investment.”

“We are following the same format adopted in Silicon Valley and in our Australian office, and thought it was about time that our Sri Lankan crew reap the same benefits as their counterparts abroad,” said Perera

:Different recently reaffirmed its commitment to Sri Lanka by doubling its stake in the country through a multi-million dollar investment in its Colombo office. This move strengthens the regional office by adding senior personnel and moving key operational functions, including real-time customer management, customer experience, maintenance and supplier relationships to Sri Lanka.

“The increased investment into the Colombo office, coupled with our new equity offer to employees underlines :Different’s commitment to harnessing the best minds in Sri Lanka to build a world-class technology company that places Sri Lanka very firmly on the world tech map”, said Perera.

He is confident that this new move will further strengthen :Different’s position as one of the most employee-friendly startups to work for in Sri Lanka. “Recruiting and retaining the very best may be the most important part of building a company that will be resilient through the uncertain times that await us over the next decade, and this is doubly important as world economies recover from COVID-19. Our hope is that this move will encourage other companies to start seeing their employees as long-term investments, because that’s exactly what they are to us!”

The company news release did not reveal whether what’s on offer is free or paid shares under an Employees Share Option Plan (ESOP).

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Business

Pelwatte Dairy commissions Sri Lanka’s largest dairy effluent treatment plant to advance ESG leadership and global market readiness

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Akmal Wickramanayake, Managing Director of Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited, unveils the commemorative plaque to officially inaugurate the company’s Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, reaffirming Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and sustainable dairy processing.

Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited has successfully commissioned its state-of-the-art Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at its Buttala manufacturing facility, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward environmental stewardship, ESG compliance, and responsible dairy processing.

This facility is the largest Effluent Treatment Plant within a dairy processing operation in Sri Lanka, underscoring Pelwatte Dairy’s commitment to aligning its operations with global environmental standards and strengthening its position in international markets.

Strategic Commitment to ESG and Responsible Growth

This investment reflects a deliberate and forward-looking strategy by the Board of Directors to embed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into core operations. As Pelwatte Dairy continues to scale its processing capacity and expand its export footprint, environmental compliance has become a central pillar of sustainable growth.

The ETP has been designed to meet the increasingly stringent environmental expectations of Western, European, and Far Eastern markets, where compliance with wastewater discharge standards, environmental reporting, and sustainability practices are essential for market access.

Future-Proofed Design for Scalable Growth

The facility has a base treatment capacity of 250 m³ per day, with the engineered capability to handle peak volumes of up to 325 m³, representing approximately 30% additional capacity to accommodate future growth in processing volumes. [ETP Opening | Word]

This future-ready design ensures that Pelwatte Dairy can maintain consistent environmental performance even under high production scenarios, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long-term compliance, operational resilience, and responsible expansion.

Advanced Technology Supporting Global Compliance

The ETP integrates advanced treatment technologies, including:

Integrated Dissolved Air Flotation (IDAF)

Anaerobic and Enhanced Sequential Batch Reactor (AnSBR/eSBR) systems

Dedicated CIP wastewater management

Real-time automated process monitoring

Screw press sludge dewatering

These systems ensure high treatment efficiency and compliance with critical environmental parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and nutrient discharge limits.

The plant is fully aligned with Sri Lanka’s stringent Central Environmental Authority (CEA) discharge standards and supports adherence to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) practices, reinforcing Pelwatte Dairy’s structured approach to environmental management and continuous improvement.

Regulatory Engagement and Endorsement

The inauguration ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives from the Board of Investment (BOI) Environmental Division and Central Environmental Authority (CEA) provincial and district offices, reflecting strong regulatory engagement and endorsement of the environmental standards achieved through this investment.

Their presence underscores Pelwatte Dairy’s proactive approach in working closely with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with national environmental frameworks while aligning with global best practices.

Enhancing Global Credibility of Sri Lankan Dairy

With this development, Pelwatte Dairy strengthens its position as a responsible and globally competitive dairy processor, capable of meeting the environmental expectations of leading international buyers and regulatory bodies.

This initiative not only enhances the company’s ESG profile but also contributes to elevating the sustainability standards of Sri Lanka’s dairy industry.

Acknowledgements

Pelwatte Dairy extends its sincere appreciation to its project team, operational staff, consultants, regulatory authorities, and partners for their contributions. Special recognition is extended to Industrial Solutions Lanka (Pvt) Limited for their engineering expertise and successful project delivery.

Business

Port City Colombo Forum in Dubai positions Sri Lanka as South Asia’s gateway for UAE business expansion

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates

Exclusive invitation-only engagement at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC brought together approximately 200 senior UAE business and diplomatic leaders to explore Sri Lanka’s role as a platform for regional growth

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in collaboration with Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd., hosted Globalisation and the Sri Lankan Opportunity – From Recovery to Relevance: Sri Lanka’s Moment in the Evolving Global and Regional Economy, an invitation-only diplomatic and investment engagement at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre.

The forum brought together approximately 200 senior leaders from across UAE corporates and business chambers alongside Sri Lanka’s most senior diplomatic and investment representatives – among them senior executives from Sobha Realty, Binghatti, Oracle, Emirates Airlines, First Abu Dhabi Bank, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, IFS, Danube and Samana Developers – reflecting the depth of interest from the UAE’s leading industries in Sri Lanka’s evolving economic proposition.

Opening the forum, Prof. Arusha Cooray, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates, set the tone for a morning of substantive dialogue, speaking to the depth and durability of the UAE–Sri Lanka partnership, one built on decades of trade, people, and shared economic ambition, and affirming Sri Lanka’s commitment to taking that relationship into a new chapter defined by what Sri Lanka can offer UAE businesses seeking to grow their presence across South Asia.

The keynote address was delivered by Ghanim Al Falasi, CEO of Falak Tayyeb Platinum and Senior Vice President/Director General’s Office for of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), who drew on over a decade of senior leadership experience in the UAE’s innovation and technology ecosystem to frame the question of what South Asia’s emerging platforms offer to forward-looking UAE businesses. He noted that while Dubai provides global access to capital and logistics, Colombo offers strategic access to South Asia, and that together the two cities can function as complementary platforms serving different but mutually reinforcing roles in the regional economy.

Business

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to hold 187th AGM

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will convene its 187th Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 25th June 2026, at 5.30 PM at The Forum, Cinnamon Life.

This year’s gathering welcomes His Excellency Andrew Patrick, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka, as Chief Guest, who will deliver the keynote address. His presence reflects the close and longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, and is especially fitting at a juncture when strengthening trade ties, investor confidence, and sustained economic reform remain front of mind for the nation’s business community.

Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber, Krishan Balendra, will also address the audience, reflecting on a year of progress and setting out the priorities ahead. His remarks will provide an overview of the Ceylon Chamber’s continued push to sharpen private sector competitiveness, drive evidence-based policy advocacy, and anchor long-term economic stability.

Following the formal proceedings, members and guests are invited to a networking reception.

Ceylon Chamber members wishing to attend may register by contacting Alikie at alikie@chamber.lk / 9411 558 8805.