Dilmah is a Sri Lankan brand of Ceylon tea, sold internationally. The company was founded in 1988 by Merrill J Fernando. The name Dilmah was chosen by combining the first names of Fernando's sons Dilhan and Malik. It is available in over 100 countries, including Estonia, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Lithuania, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Taiwan and New Zealand. In 2009 it was considered that Dilmah was the sixth-largest tea brand in the world.
The primary form of agriculture in Sri Lanka is rice production. Rice is cultivated during Maha and Yala seasons. Tea is cultivated in the central highlands and is a major source of foreign exchange. Vegetables, fruits and oilseed crops are also cultivated in the country. There are two Agriculture Parks abbreviated as A. Parks established by the Department of Agriculture. Out of the total population in Sri Lanka, 27.1% engages in agricultural activities. Agriculture accounted for 7.4% of the GDP in 2020.
Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena, known as Harry Jayawardena, is a Sri Lankan industrialist. He is chairman of Melstacorp PLC and is the Honorary Consul General for Denmark in Sri Lanka. Forbes listed him as one of the richest people in Sri Lanka.
Deshamanya Kandiah (Ken) Balendra is a Sri Lankan corporate leader and executive, who holds and has held many corporate positions in Sri Lanka and the region. He served as the first Sri Lankan chairman of John Keells Holdings Ltd., the largest conglomerate in the island. Currently he is the chairman of Brandix Lanka Ltd. and the South Asia Regional Fund of the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
Aitken Spence PLC is a Sri Lankan blue chip conglomerate with operations in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific. Listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange since 1983, it has major interests in hotels, travel, maritime services and logistics. The group also has a significant presence in printing, plantations, power generation, financial services, IT Business Process Outsourcing/Knowledge Process Outsourcing sector, elevator agency services, garments, and property development.
Maliban Biscuit Manufactories, is one of the largest manufacturers, distributors and marketers of bakery products in Sri Lanka. Maliban is a privately owned limited liability company.
Hayleys PLC, founded in 1878, is a multinational and diversified conglomerate company in Sri Lanka with business spanning over 16 sectors, catering to 70 markets worldwide. Hayleys accounts for approximately 4.2% of Sri Lanka's export income, and 3.9% of the country's tea and 4.5% of its rubber production. With over 30,000 employees, Hayley was also the first listed entity in the country to surpass annual revenue of US$1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017/18. The company operates over 16 business sectors: eco-solutions, hand protection, purification, agriculture, consumer and retail, leisure, textile manufacturing, construction materials, plantations, industrial solutions, power and energy, transportation and logistics, BPO, tea exports, projects and engineering, and investments and services. Hayleys comprises over 130 business units and subsidiaries, nine of which are publicly listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange. In addition to Sri Lanka, Hayleys today has manufacturing facilities in Indonesia and Thailand and marketing operations in Australia, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK and USA and its products are sold in 80 countries.
Tata Consumer Products is an Indian fast-moving consumer goods company and a part of the Tata Group. Its registered office is located in Kolkata while its corporate headquarters is in Mumbai. It is the world's second-largest manufacturer and distributor of tea and a major producer of coffee.
Carlton Sports Network(CSN), was a Sri Lankan sports, lifestyles and business television channel. CSN was launched on 7 March 2011 and closed in 2016. It was involved in several controversies since its creation, primarily due to overlapping interests of its connected owners. "Carlton" is considered to be the "brand name" of the Rajapaksa family alongside the Carlton Residence of the Rajapaksas, Carlton Pre School owned by Shiranthi Rajapaksa, and Carlton Rugby owned by Namal Rajapaksa, as well as the Carlton Motor Sports Club linked to Rohitha Rajapaksa.
George Steuart Group of Companies is Sri Lanka's oldest mercantile establishment, having been established in 1835 during British occupation of Ceylon. It is the oldest surviving mercantile firm in the country, with a recorded history dating back to the early 19th century, and is the first on the register of companies in Sri Lanka
Ceylon Biscuits Limited is a Sri Lankan food manufacturer, the maker of Munchee biscuits and one of the oldest biscuit makers in Sri Lanka. The company owns 60% of the domestic market share in Sri Lanka.
Akbar Tea is a Sri Lankan tea brand owned by Akbar Brothers Ltd, along with Alghazaleen Tea. The company produces a range of tea bags, loose teas and gifts including: black tea, green tea, flavoured teas, and herbal teas.
Sri Lanka has a climate and varied elevation that allows for the production of both Camellia sinensis var. assamica and Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, with the assamica varietal holding the majority of production. Tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka, and accounts for 2% of GDP, contributing over US$1.3 billion in 2021 to the economy of Sri Lanka. It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. In addition, tea planting by smallholders is the source of employment for thousands whilst it is also the main form of livelihood for tens of thousands of families. Sri Lanka is the world's fourth-largest producer of tea. In 1995, it was the world's leading exporter of tea, with 23% of the total world export, and Sri Lanka ranked second on tea export earnings in 2020 after China. The highest production of 340 million kg was recorded in 2013, while the production in 2014 was slightly reduced to 338 million kg.
Heladiv, publicly traded as HVA Foods PLC, is a tea company based in Sri Lanka.
Island Tea is a Sri Lankan brand of tea, sold internationally. The company was founded in 2017 by Minodh de Sylva, it has manages and expands its network through separate companies located in Philippines, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Australia and Singapore, which are privately held.
Lankem Ceylon PLC is a chemicals, paints and consumer goods manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. The company also engaged in the hospitality industry by owning and operating resorts in Sri Lanka. The company is incorporated in 1964 by Royal Dutch Shell and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1970. Brand Finance ranked the company 88th most valuable brand in Sri Lanka. The company ranked 61st in LMD 100, an annual list of quoted companies by revenue in the financial year 2019–20.
Sunshine Holdings PLC is a Sri Lankan conglomerate holding company that is engaged in the healthcare, consumer goods and agribusiness sectors. Sunshine Holdings was incorporated on 16 June 1973, and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1983. Sunshine Holdings ranked 45th in LMD 100, a list of quoted companies in Sri Lanka by revenue in the 2020/21 edition.
Galadari Hotel, traded as Galadari Hotels (Lanka) PLC, is a five-star luxury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Emirati conglomerate, Galadari Brothers are the controlling shareholders of the hotel company. The hotel commenced operations in 1984. The hotel was previously managed by Meridien Hotels and Marriott before the Galadari Brothers themselves took over the management in 1994. The hotel suffered from a couple of terrorist attacks in the 1990s most notably in 1997. In 2022, the hotel won the Hotel Brand of the year award at the SLIM-Kantar Peoples Awards.
The Swadeshi Industrial Works PLC is a personal care products manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. The company became the first local soap manufacturing company when the company was incorporated in 1941. Swadeshi is a listed company on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Brand Finance calculated Swadeshi Industrial Works' brand value to be LKR543 million in 2022 and ranks the company as 85th most valuable brand in Sri Lanka.
Bairaha Farms PLC is a poultry processing company in Sri Lanka. The company was founded in 1975 and went public with an initial public offering in 1994. By 1987, Bairaha Farms became the largest broiler producer in Sri Lanka. During the late 1990s, Bairaha was one of the three dominant animal feed manufacturers. A Bairaha Farms' joint venture won a bronze award at the National Chamber of Exporters Awards in 2011. Bairaha Farms is one of the LMD 100 companies in Sri Lanka and one of the 100 most valuable brands in the country in 2022. The company conducts several corporate social responsibility programmes.
