Business
Twin wins for Teejay Lanka at Presidential Export Awards
Teejay Lanka PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading fabric manufacturer, won twin awards as the ‘Best Textile Exporter’ in Sri Lanka at the combined 2019-20 and 2020-21 Presidential Export Awards ceremony hosted by the Export Development Board (EDB).
These are Teejay Lanka’s second and third consecutive ‘Best Exporter’ awards in the Knitted Fabric Sector. The Company won this title for the first time on its debut at the Presidential Export Awards in 2019. The combined awards ceremony marks the 24th edition of this awards programme and was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic which prevented the conduct of last year’s ceremony.
The Best Textile Exporter awards were presented to Teejay in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the export sector and to the economic development of Sri Lanka. Teejay Lanka which has been on a steady growth trajectory over the years reported a total revenue of US$ 112.9 million for 2020-21 and US$ 109.2 million for 2019-20. Of this, 11 per cent (about Rs 2.4 billion at current exchange rates) was generated by exports to customers in Bangladesh, Italy, India, and Haiti in 2020-21, while in 2019-20, exports of approximately Rs 5 billion represented 23 per cent of revenue.
“These awards are a testament to our resilience and adaptability in turbulent times,” Teejay Lanka CEO Mr Pubudu De Silva commented. “Despite the disruptions created by the pandemic and the increase in prices of cotton and other inputs, we have maintained our growth trajectory and retained our status as Sri Lanka’s top knit fabric exporter for three years in a row. The Group is now focused on catering to our customers’ next phase of fabric requirements with synthetic and niche fabric offerings that are high in quality and value.”
Matching Teejay Lanka’s milestone accomplishments, its wholly-owned subsidiary Teejay India too has been recognised for its outstanding services to the textile industry. For the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, the Company won Best Exporter Awards in the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) at the Export Excellence Awards presented by the Export promotion Council for Export Oriented Units (EOU) and Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
Teejay has invested $ 26 million to increase the India plant’s daily output by 20 tons, which is aligned with the Group’s focus on building its synthetic fabric manufacturing capacity in Teejay India and would contribute to the Group’s target of becoming a US$ 300 million business by 2023. The first phase of expansion under this project is expected to come on line in January 2022, adding five tons a day to production capacity.
The 24th Presidential Export Awards ceremony for the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 was held on 26th November at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka’s largest textile manufacturer and the first textile manufacturer in the country to receive membership of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, Teejay Lanka PLC is a public quoted company with 40 per cent public ownership. The company is backed by Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter Brandix Lanka which has a 33 per cent stake. Pacific Textiles of Hong Kong whose key shareholder is the Tokyo Stock Exchange listed Toray Industries Inc., owns 27 per cent of Teejay Lanka.
Business
Dialog delivers strong growth, stronger national contribution in FY 2025
Dialog Axiata PLC announced, Friday 6th February 2026, its consolidated financial results (Reviewed) for the year ended 31st December 2025. Financial results included those of Dialog Axiata PLC (the “Company”) and of the Dialog Axiata Group (the “Group”).
Group Performance
The Group delivered a strong performance across Mobile, Fixed Line and Digital Pay Television businesses recording a positive Core Revenue growth of 16% Year to Date (“YTD”). Group Headline Revenue reached Rs179.6Bn, up 5% YTD, despite the continued strategic scaling down of low-margin international wholesale business. In Q4 2025, Revenue was recorded at Rs46.5Bn up 2% Quarter-on-Quarter (“QoQ”) and 2% Year-on-Year (“YoY”).
The Group Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (“EBITDA”) reached Rs86.0Bn up 30% YTD supported by Core Revenue performance and Cost Rescaling Initiatives. On a QoQ basis Group EBITDA demonstrated a modest growth to record at Rs23.0Bn up 2% QoQ with an EBITDA margin of 49.5% in line with the Revenue performance. Group EBITDA margin reached 47.9% for FY 2025, up 9.2pp.
Group Net Profit After Tax (“NPAT”) reached Rs20.8Bn for FY 2025, up 67% YTD mainly resulting from robust EBITDA growth, despite higher tax and net finance costs. Normalized for forex impact, NPAT growth was recorded at +>100% YTD to reach Rs22.1Bn. On a QoQ basis NPAT grew 3% to reach Rs5.9Bn resulting from strong EBITDA performance.
On the back of strong operational performance, the Group recorded Operating Free Cash Flow (“OFCF”)
of Rs49.3Bn for FY 2025 up >100% YTD.
Dividend Payment to Shareholders
In line with the dividend policy and financial performance of the Group and taking into account the forward investment requirements to serve the nation’s demand for Broadband and Digital services, the Board of Directors of Dialog Axiata PLC at its meeting held on 6th February 2026, resolved to propose for consideration by the Shareholders of the Company, a dividend to ordinary shareholders amounting to Rs1.50 per share. The said dividend, if approved by shareholders, would translate to a Dividend Yield of 5.0% based on share closing price for FY 2025. The dividend so proposed will be considered for approval by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company, the date pertaining to which would be notified in due course.
Company and Subsidiary Performance
At an entity level, Dialog Axiata PLC (the “Company”) continued to be the primary contributor to Group Revenue (76%) and Group EBITDA (74%). Aided by sustained growth in the Data segment and cost-rescaling initiatives, Company revenue was recorded at Rs135.8Bn for FY 2025, up 18% YTD, EBITDA rose 32% YTD to reach Rs63.6Bn. On a QoQ basis, Q4 2025 Revenue was recorded at Rs34.8Bn, down 1% QoQ due to a reclassification of Hubbing Revenue, while EBITDA decline 1% QoQ to record Rs17.0Bn, largely attributable to network restoration costs and donations made in relation to the Cyclone Ditwah relief efforts. Furthermore, NPAT was recorded at Rs15.6Bn for FY 2025, up 41% YTD. Normalised for forex impacts, the company NPAT was up +>100% YTD to reach Rs17.0Bn. On a QoQ basis, Company NPAT was recorded at Rs4.5Bn, down 6% QoQ.
Business
Ceylinco Life’s Pranama Scholarships reach 25-year milestone
Ceylinco Life has announced the launch of the 25th consecutive edition of its flagship Pranama Scholarships programme, marking a significant milestone in the company’s long-standing commitment to recognising and rewarding excellence among the children of its policyholders.
Under the 2026 programme, the life insurance market leader will present scholarships with a total cumulative value of Rs. 22.7 million, continuing a rewards initiative that has now been conducted without interruption for a quarter of a century. Since its inception, the Ceylinco Life Pranama Scholarships programme has benefitted 3,466 students across the country, representing a total investment of Rs. 240 million in nurturing academic achievement and outstanding performance in sports, arts and other extracurricular pursuits.
Business
Sri Lankans’ artistic genius glowingly manifests at Kala Pola ‘26
The artistic genius of Sri Lankans was amply manifest all over again at ‘Kala Pola ‘26’ which was held on February 8th at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha Colombo 7; the usual, teeming and colourful venue for this annual grand exhibition and celebration of the work of local visual artists.
If there is one thing that has flourished memorably and resplendently in Sri Lanka over the centuries it is the artistic capability or genius of its people. It is something that all Sri Lankans could feel a sense of elation over because from the viewpoint of the arts, Sri Lanka is second to no other nation. With regard to the visual arts a veritable dazzling radiance of this inborn and persisting capability is seen at the annual open air ‘Kala Pola’.

A bird of Sri Lanka created from scraps of iron waste.
All capable visual artists, wherever they hail from in Sri Lanka, enjoy the opportunity of exhibiting their work at the ‘Kala Pola’ and this is a distinctive ‘positive’ of this annual event that draws numberless artists and viewers. There was an abundance of paintings, sketches and sculptures, for instance, and one work was as good as the other. Ample and equal space was afforded each artist. Its widely participatory and open nature enables one to describe the exhibition as exuding a profoundly democratic ethos.
Accordingly, this time around at ‘Kala Pola ‘26’ too Sri Lankans’ creative efforts were there to be viewed, studied and enjoyed in the customary carnival atmosphere where connoisseurs, local and foreign, met in a sprit of camaraderie and good cheer. Many thanks are owed once again to the George Keyt Foundation for the presentation of the event in association with the John Keells Group and the John Keells Foundation, not forgetting the Nations Trust Bank, which was the event’s Official Banking Partner. The exhibition was officially declared open by Chief Guest Marc-Andre Franche, UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka.
By Lynn Ockersz
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