Vidullanka–David Pieris Solar Plant Adds 10 MW to Sri Lanka’s National Grid

Oct 20, 2026 1 week ago 2 min read
Vidullanka–David Pieris Solar Plant Adds 10 MW to Sri Lanka’s National Grid

COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — Vidullanka PLC and David Pieris Motor Company have inaugurated a 10 MW solar power plant in Ranna, expanding Sri Lanka’s…

Colombo Stocks Close Lower as Key Shares Decline; Turnover Tops Rs. 680 Million

Oct 20, 2026 1 week ago 2 min read
Colombo Stocks Close Lower as Key Shares Decline; Turnover Tops Rs. 680 Million

COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — Colombo stock market indices closed lower as price declines in Dialog Axiata, Hatton National Bank and Hemas Holdings weighed on…

China Merchants’ Exit from US$392 Million Colombo Logistics Project Raises Investment Concerns

Oct 20, 2026 1 week ago 4 min read
China Merchants’ Exit from US$392 Million Colombo Logistics Project Raises Investment Concerns

COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — China Merchants Port Holdings’ withdrawal from a US$392 million logistics development at the Port of Colombo has raised concerns over…

China’s Third-Quarter Growth Reaches 4.5%, Narrowly Beating Forecasts

Oct 20, 2026 1 week ago 4 min read
China’s Third-Quarter Growth Reaches 4.5%, Narrowly Beating Forecasts

BEIJING, October 20, 2026 — China’s economy expanded by 4.5% in the third quarter, slightly exceeding market expectations as strong exports helped offset weak domestic…

Sri Lanka’s 2027 Budget Expenditure Set to Rise 12.6% to Rs. 4.99 Trillion

Oct 19, 2026 1 week ago 3 min read
Sri Lanka’s 2027 Budget Expenditure Set to Rise 12.6% to Rs. 4.99 Trillion

COLOMBO, October 19, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s total government expenditure is projected to increase by 12.6% to Rs. 4.993 trillion in 2027, from Rs. 4.434…

BIZ BREAKING

Sri Lanka Connects First Grid-Scale Battery Storage Facility to National Grid

Sep 19, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
Sri Lanka Connects First Grid-Scale Battery Storage Facility to National Grid

COLOMBO, September 19, 2026 — Sri Lanka has connected its first grid-scale standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the national electricity grid, marking a significant development in the country’s renewable energy and power infrastructure sector. The 10 MW/40 MWh…

WindForce Boosts Renewable Portfolio to 268 MW with Battery Storage and Floating Solar

Sep 18, 2026 1 month ago 2 min read
WindForce Boosts Renewable Portfolio to 268 MW with Battery Storage and Floating Solar

COLOMBO, September 18, 2026 — Renewable energy producer WindForce PLC has expanded its total generation capacity to approximately 268 MW following the commissioning of two new clean-energy projects, including what the company describes as Sri Lanka’s first standalone grid-scale battery…

Cabinet Approves US$112 Million Waterfront Investment in Colombo Port City

Sep 16, 2026 1 month ago 2 min read
Cabinet Approves US$112 Million Waterfront Investment in Colombo Port City

COLOMBO, September 16, 2026 — The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a major investment proposal that will see Prime Melwa (Pvt) Ltd develop a landmark mixed-use waterfront project within Colombo Port City. The company has been approved for designation as…

Sri Lanka Stocks Show Signs of Recovery as CSE Trading Remains Volatile

Sep 14, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
Sri Lanka Stocks Show Signs of Recovery as CSE Trading Remains Volatile

COLOMBO, September 14, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s stock market showed signs of recovery during Monday’s trading session, with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) benchmarks moving into positive territory after a softer start. The All Share Price Index (ASPI), the benchmark…

BUSINESS

Electricity Tariff Cuts Remain Without Firm Timeline as Sri Lanka Expands Renewables

Sep 28, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
Electricity Tariff Cuts Remain Without Firm Timeline as Sri Lanka Expands Renewables

COLOMBO, September 28, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s Government has yet to set a firm timeline for electricity tariff reductions, with Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka saying…

Sri Lanka sets sights on 4 million tourists and US$8 billion tourism revenue by 2030

Sep 27, 2026 1 month ago 4 min read
Sri Lanka sets sights on 4 million tourists and US$8 billion tourism revenue by 2030

COLOMBO, September 27, 2026 — Sri Lanka is targeting four million tourist arrivals and US$8 billion in annual tourism revenue by 2030, as the Government…

Iran Offers Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Within Seven Days, Raising Hopes for Oil Market Relief

Sep 26, 2026 1 month ago 5 min read
Iran Offers Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Within Seven Days, Raising Hopes for Oil Market Relief

NEW YORK, September 26, 2026 — Iran has offered the United States a potential agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days,…

Fairway Expands East Coast Footprint with Trincomalee Beach Resort Takeover

Sep 25, 2026 1 month ago 4 min read
Fairway Expands East Coast Footprint with Trincomalee Beach Resort Takeover

TRINCOMALEE, September 25, 2026 — Fairway Holdings is expanding its presence in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry with a long-term hotel management agreement for Trincomalee Beach…

ECONOMY

CBSL Exchange Rates: US Dollar Selling Rate Rises to Rs. 336.92

Sep 17, 2026 1 month ago 1 min read
CBSL Exchange Rates: US Dollar Selling Rate Rises to Rs. 336.92

The Sri Lankan Rupee weakened slightly against the US Dollar on Thursday (17), with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) reporting an increase in…

Sri Lanka Economy Grows 4.2% in Second Quarter of 2026

Sep 16, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
Sri Lanka Economy Grows 4.2% in Second Quarter of 2026

COLOMBO, September 16, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s economy expanded by 4.2% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest National Accounts Estimates…

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Reserves Rise to US$6.9 Billion on Record Dollar Purchases

Sep 14, 2026 1 month ago 4 min read
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Reserves Rise to US$6.9 Billion on Record Dollar Purchases

Sri Lanka’s gross official foreign reserves increased to a provisional US$6.9 billion by the end of August 2026, reaching their highest level in five months…

Colombo Port Capacity to Increase by 1.5 Million TEUs as Sri Lanka Targets Continued Growth

Sep 13, 2026 2 months ago 5 min read
Colombo Port Capacity to Increase by 1.5 Million TEUs as Sri Lanka Targets Continued Growth

COLOMBO — Colombo Port is set to expand its handling capacity by a further 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), as Sri Lanka moves to…

MARKETS

Sri Lanka stocks trend up Friday, Kotagala to absorb subsidiary

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 2 min read
Sri Lanka stocks trend up Friday, Kotagala to absorb subsidiary

Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading up on Friday morning, CSE data showed, with the benchmark All Share Price Index moving up 0.37…

NATION

Minister Sunil Handunnetti joins Ceylon Gemlogue ’26 as Sri Lanka charts new direction for gem industry

Sep 27, 2026 1 month ago 4 min read
Minister Sunil Handunnetti joins Ceylon Gemlogue ’26 as Sri Lanka charts new direction for gem industry

COLOMBO, September 27, 2026 — Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti attended the inaugural session of Ceylon Gemlogue ’26 in Colombo today, as…

Adverse Weather Affects Nearly 3,500 People Across 15 Districts

Sep 27, 2026 1 month ago 2 min read
Adverse Weather Affects Nearly 3,500 People Across 15 Districts

COLOMBO, September 27, 2026 — Adverse weather conditions have affected 3,495 people from 943 families across 104 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in 15 districts, according…

Met Department Issues Amber Advisory Over High Waves Along Sri Lankan Coast

Sep 26, 2026 1 month ago 1 min read
Met Department Issues Amber Advisory Over High Waves Along Sri Lankan Coast

COLOMBO, September 26, 2026 — The Department of Meteorology has issued an “Amber” advisory for high waves covering sea areas from Chilaw to Pottuvil, including…

Parliament to Vote Today on 22nd Amendment and Judicature Amendment Bills

Sep 25, 2026 1 month ago 2 min read
Parliament to Vote Today on 22nd Amendment and Judicature Amendment Bills

COLOMBO, September 25, 2026 — Parliament is scheduled to vote today on the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, as…

world

India Steps Up Push to Become Global Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub

Sep 18, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
India Steps Up Push to Become Global Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub

NEW DELHI, September 18, 2026 — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stepped up efforts to position India as a major global destination for semiconductor…

Oil Prices Set for Weekly Decline as Saudi Supply Concerns Ease

Sep 18, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
Oil Prices Set for Weekly Decline as Saudi Supply Concerns Ease

LONDON, September 18, 2026 — Global oil prices are heading for a weekly decline after three consecutive weeks of gains, as concerns over disruptions to…

Zhang Yiming Becomes Asia’s Richest Person Driven by ByteDance’s AI Surge

Sep 17, 2026 1 month ago 2 min read
Zhang Yiming Becomes Asia’s Richest Person Driven by ByteDance’s AI Surge

Zhang Yiming, the 43-year-old founder of TikTok parent company ByteDance, has officially become Asia’s wealthiest individual with a net worth surpassing $105 billion. His personal…

US Reportedly Moves Toward $2.8 Billion Arms Package for Israel

Sep 16, 2026 1 month ago 3 min read
US Reportedly Moves Toward $2.8 Billion Arms Package for Israel

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2026 — The US government is reportedly moving toward approving an arms package worth approximately US$2.8 billion for Israel, according to US…