The mixed economy of Sri Lanka was worth $84 billion by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 and $296.959 billion by purchasing power parity (PPP). The country had experienced an annual growth of 6.4 percent from 2003 to 2012, well above its regional peers. This growth was driven by the growth of non-tradable sectors, which the World Bank warned to be both unsustainable and unequitable. Growth has slowed since then. In 2019 with an income per capita of 13,620 PPP Dollars or 3,852 (2019) nominal US dollars, Sri Lanka was re-classified as a lower middle income nation with the population around 22 million (2021) by the World Bank from a previous upper middle income status.
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.
Aitken Spence PLC is a Sri Lankan blue chip conglomerate with operations in South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Pacific. Listed on 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, plantation, power generation, financial services, IT, Business Process Outsourcing/Knowledge Process Outsourcing sector, elevator agency services, garments, and property development.
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.
Beer has been brewed in Sri Lanka from five hundreds of years. In the 19th century, the British introduced British beer to Ceylon. The most popular beers in Sri Lanka are Lager-style beer.
Ceylinco Insurance PLC is the largest private sector insurance company in Sri Lanka. The company is also engaged in the education and renewable energy sectors. The company offers both life insurance and all classes of general insurance. The company was incorporated in 1987 when the government ended its state monopoly over the insurance sector and the company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange the following year. Ceylinco Insurance is an LMD 100 company, an annual list of public companies in Sri Lanka by revenue and ranked 23rd in the 2020/21 edition.
C T Holdings PLC, formerly known as Ceylon Theatres Limited, is an investment holding company and one of the largest conglomerates in Sri Lanka. The company was incorporated in 1928 by Chittampalam A. Gardiner and quoted on the Colombo Stock Exchange ever since. In 2019, Brand Finance ranked C T Holdings eighth amongst the most valuable conglomerates in Sri Lanka with a brand value of LKR18,981 million. C T Holdings also ranked eighth in the LMD 100, a list of leading listed companies in Sri Lanka by the business magazine, LMD. The company holds a 71% stake in Sri Lanka's largest food company, Cargills (Ceylon).
John Keells Hotels PLC is a hotel holding company in Sri Lanka. John Keells built its first resort in 1973 in Habarana. John Keells' hotel management company operated under several names. In the 1970s, the company was known as Walkers Tours Hotels. Then in the 1980s, it was known as simply Hotel Management & Marketing Services, and finally, in the 1990s, the company became to known as John Keells Hotels. John Keells ventured into the Maldives in 1996 with the acquisition of Velidhu Resort Hotel. In 2004, the hotel chain underwent a major restructuring. All resorts were brought under John Keells Hotels Limited, and the company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.
Central Finance Company PLC is one of the oldest non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) in Sri Lanka having founded in 1957. The company is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1969. Brand Finance ranked the company the 28th most valuable brand in Sri Lanka for the year 2021. Central Finance Company was ranked 44th in the LMD 100 for the fiscal year 2019/20 by LMD.
CIC Holdings PLC is a Sri Lankan conglomerate holding company engaged in merchandising and manufacturing chemical products. The company was incorporated in 1964 and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in the same year. Initially, the company was a part of Imperial Chemical Industries and prior to 2011, was known as Chemical Industries (Colombo) PLC. The company ranked 41st in LMD 100, an annual list of leading listed companies in Sri Lanka. The company also ranked 31st in Business Today's Top 40 for 2020–21 financial year.
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.
Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, commonly abbreviated as DIMO, is a Sri Lankan conglomerate company. The company engaged in vehicle sales, after-sales services, retail, construction and logistics solutions and agriculture sectors. The company was founded in 1939 and was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1964. DIMO is one of the LMD 100 companies, a list of quoted companies in Sri Lanka by revenue and ranked 39th in the 2020/21 edition.
Brown and Company PLC, sometimes called Browns Group, is a conglomerate holding company in Sri Lanka. The company was founded by James Brown, a 25-year-old engineer and mechanic from London who arrived in Ceylon in 1872. In 1892, the company was incorporated and in 1991 the company became a listed company on the Colombo Stock Exchange. The company was included in S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index in June 2021. Brown and Company is one of the LMD 100 companies, an annual list of Sri Lankan listed companies by revenue, having ranked 42nd in the 2020/21 edition.
Janashakthi Insurance PLC is an insurance company in Sri Lanka. The company was incorporated in 1992 and its operations were commenced in 1994. Janashakthi Insurance became the first company to specialise in life insurance in Sri Lanka. Janashakthi Insurance became a public company when the company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2008. The company was a constituent of the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index in 2016. Janashakthi Insurance is ranked 85th in LMD 100, an annual list of listed companies by revenue in Sri Lanka. Janashakthi Insurance is known for its long-term patronage of sports, especially cricket.
Asiri Hospital Holdings PLC, doing business as Asiri Health, is the largest private healthcare provider in Sri Lanka. The company commenced operations in 1986 and was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in the same year. Asiri Hospitals operate six hospitals and collectively has over an 800-bed capacity. Softlogic Holdings is the parent company of Asiri Hospitals group. Asiri Hospital Holdings ranked 57th in the LMD 100, an annual list of listed companies by revenue, in the 2020/21 edition.
ACL Cables PLC is a cable manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. ACL Cables manufactures and sells power cables, conductors, armoured cables and telephone cables. The company was established in 1962 as Associated Cables, a subsidiary of Associated Motorways. The company was publicly quoted in 1976. In 1980, the company moved out of Associated Motorways Group and was renamed ACL Cables in 1990. ACL Cables is one of the LMD 100 companies in Sri Lanka.
Renuka Holdings PLC, also called Renuka Group, is a conglomerate company in Sri Lanka. Ceylonese businessman Alfred Thambiyah laid the foundations of the Renuka Group by acquiring the Crago Boat Dispatch Company in 1936 and establishing Renuka Hotel, named after his youngest daughter Indu Renuka in 1969. Indu Renuka Rajiyah founded Renuka Enterprises in 1975, and Renuka Holdings in 1979 marked the formal beginning of the group. Renuka Holdings went public in 2008 and following the listing on the Colombo Stock Exchange, the company pursued a growth strategy. Renuka Holdings is one of the LMD 100 companies in Sri Lanka and also one of the 20 largest conglomerates 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.
Ambeon Holdings PLC is a conglomerate holding company based in Sri Lanka. John Walker who established Walker Sons and Company is the founder of the company. In 1874, Walker founded Walker and Greig to supply agricultural machinery to plantations in the hill country. The company was incorporated in 1910 and in 1959, it was brought under Brown and Company. In 1970, the company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.
Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC is a hotel chain holding company based in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan conglomerate Aitken Spence is the parent company of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings. The company operates hotels in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman and India. Aitken Spence ventured into the hospitality business by building two seaside resorts designed by Geoffrey Bawa. The company was founded in 1978 as Ahungalla Hotels Ltd and is the proprietor of the Hotel Triton. Ahungalla Hotels Ltd was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1980. In 1994, after acquiring Aitken Spence Hotels Ltd, the company gained control of the properties of the hotel chain. Kandalama Hotel and the Tea Factory Hotel commenced operations in 1994 and 1996 respectively. The company opened its first resort in the Maldives in 1993.
