Business
HNB extends partnership with DIMO

Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, announced the extension of its long- standing partnership with Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO) to offer customers convenient leasing solutions inclusive of attractive benefits for TATA vehicles and DIMO Agri-machinery range of vehicles.
HNB Deputy General Manager- Retail and SME Banking, Sanjay Wijemanne and DIMO Group CEO, Gahanath Pandithage graced the ceremony held to ink the partnership, which offers TATA commercial vehicles, TATA passenger cars and Agri Machinery.
“Our latest environment friendly Tata Euro4 commercial vehicle range offers efficient & sustainable transport solutions. We are confident that this collaboration will allow our customers to enjoy a flexible & customised leasing solution for Tata commercial vehicles & Agri- machinery,” DIMO, Group CEO, Gahanath Pandithage said.
“We are excited to further strengthen the partnership with DIMO to offer unparalleled discounts and an assortment of special benefits to our loyal customer base. Through partnerships of this nature, we can deliver flexible and innovative leasing solutions customised to meet the specific needs of our customers, and help them to achieve their dream of expanding their businesses to greater heights,” HNB Deputy General Manager- Retail and SME Banking, Sanjay Wijemanne said.
The partnership will offer HNB customers a host of benefits, including attractive leasing packages, low-interest rates, and customised leasing facilities, tailor-made to suit each customers’ budget and income. DIMO will offer special discounts on a range of vehicles and agri-machinery combined with unmatched warranty periods.
Meanwhile, new leasing customers will be offered the HNB Prestige Prime credit card providing access to exclusive discounts on automobile products, servicing, spare parts, tyres and batteries. The first year annual fee for the credit card is waived off.
DIMO will offer HNB customers a special discount of Rs. 50,000 for Mahindra Rotavators, in addition to a Rs. 10,000 discount for light commercial vehicles, medium and heavy trucks, tippers and prime movers. Free registration will be available for Swaraj tractors & a 50% contribution on registration will be offered for Mahindra tractors.
Additionally, HNB customers will be entitled to a comprehensive extended three-year warranty for CLAAS combine harvesters and a one-year comprehensive warranty for LOVOL harvesters. DIMO will also offer a free set of additional front tires worth Rs. 30,000 for Mahindra Compact 4 WD tractors.
DIMO offers excellent after-sales service and genuine spare parts in addition to 24-hour roadside assistance service for TATA customers to complement the range. Additionally, Mahindra Tractor Service Camps are held free of charge twice a year across the island to provide the farming community with an opportunity to service their tractors in time for the cultivation season.
A TATA vehicle will be on display at selected HNB customer centres while special leasing promotions will be organised at selected TATA showrooms across the island. Further information about offers can be obtained from HNB customer centres and DIMO showrooms island-wide or contact HNB on 011-2462462 or contact DIMO on 011-2449711
Business
‘Adani Group has withdrawn from controversial wind power project’

By Ifham Nizam
The Adani Group has officially withdrawn from the controversial wind power project in Mannar, citing unspecified reasons, Friends of Earth chairman Hemantha Withanage said.
It is believed that strong legal challenges, including a case filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) on behalf of local communities, have played a crucial role in the project’s cancellation. These cases have raised concerns over environmental and social impacts, the absence of a competitive bidding process, and the project’s high unit cost.
The decision comes in the wake of mounting public opposition and a recent resolution by the District Development Committee (DDC) of Mannar, which declared that no further destructive mining or wind power projects would be supported on Mannar Island. Local communities have been protesting against the environmental damage caused by existing development projects, including wind farm construction and road expansion, which have exacerbated flooding in the region.
For years, the Centre for Environmental Justice, in collaboration with the Mannar Citizen’s Committee, has been providing legal and scientific support to address these issues. Environmental activists argue that the government’s approval of such projects without proper scrutiny could lead to long-term ecological and social consequences.
With the Adani Group stepping away, the future of large-scale wind power projects in Mannar remains uncertain, as local resistance to potentially harmful developments continues to grow.
Business
Sharmini Pereira of the MMCA Sri Lanka speaks at the DBF-KMB lecture series

Sharmini Pereira, Chief Curator at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka), was a panellist at the ‘New Dialogues: Contemporary Art from South Asia’ lecture series, which took place in Bangladesh. The series was organised as part of the inaugural Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation/Kochi-Muziris Biennale Award (DBF-KMB Award), a new multi-year exhibition and lecture programme that brings together the Hayward Gallery, the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation, and the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
The lecture series featured several eminent arts and culture professionals from South Asia such as artists Bani Abidi, Jeebesh Bagchi, Nikhil Chopra, Iftikhar Dadi, and Munem Wasif. Sharmini Pereira contributed to the panel titled ‘Exhibitions as Infrastructure’, where she explored the ways in which MMCA Sri Lanka is creating a museum of modern and contemporary art in the country, through not only exhibitions but also the training of museum professionals, who for Pereira are the most necessary component of any infrastructure project.
Speaking of how exhibitions contribute to the canon, knowledge production, and building a critical infrastructure, Pereira looked at the museum as infrastructure in the South Asian context. She identified how the MMCA Sri Lanka has been shaped by the process of making a museum from scratch, and took the audience through the MMCA Sri Lanka’s past exhibitions to explain the canonical approach to exhibition making. Pereira also emphasised that exhibitions do not exist without human capital, such as curators, exhibition designers, installers, editors, translators, conservators, etc., and that exhibition-making has helped the MMCA Sri Lanka to train and build up an infrastructure of expertise and knowledge.
Business
A bold step towards sustainable food production

An initiative aimed to improve the energy landscape of Sri Lanka’s food and beverage sector, project titled, “New Solutions for Low-Emission Food Production in Sri Lanka,” was successfully completed. The project which is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) Small Grants Programme which is jointly commissioned by three German Federal ministries was implemented with several partners in Sri Lanka. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Sri Lanka monitored the project on a local level on behalf of IKI programme. Ministry of Industries and the Sri Lanka Food Processors Association provided necessary guidance to National Cleaner Production Centre, Sri Lanka to implement and the complete project successfully.
The project dissemination event, graced by key figures from the Food Sector, government ministries, non-governmental organizations, relevant authorities and industry partners.
The project aimed at reducing energy losses in the food sector by implementing energy management systems, streamlining production processes, and obtaining international certifications, with a focus on achieving ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification. This strategic move was introduced not only for companies to cut energy costs but also to enhance their reputation on the global stage.
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