Business Today

business-today-logo

Business Today TOP 40 Awards
2021 - 2022

It’s the 25th anniversary year of Business Today Awards. The Business Today TOP 40 companies were recognized for their resilience through challenging times to record growth and contribute to the country’s exchequer. The Awards Ceremony was held at the Presidential Secretariat. President Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Chief Guest. The Award Ceremony brought together politicians, distinguished dignitaries, and business corporates.

Business Today awards.

Jennifer Paldano Goonewardane.

Speech by Venerable
Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero at the Business Today TOP 40 Awards

venerable-uduwe-dhammaloka-thero

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mathi, and Glenda Parthipan and guests. Joy and well-being in human life depend on the extent to which businesses succeed in generating profits. The Buddha has preached that the poorer one becomes, the more difficult it is for humans to attain Nirvana. Generating wealth and becoming wealthy are intrinsic to the path to Nirvana.

Mathi and Glenda Parthipan are a talented business couple. For three decades now, we have witnessed their business prowess and acumen. Together, from time to time, they have been adding value to their business ventures. The ultimate testament to their continuous quest to add value to their business ventures is what we witness today in this room. Rather than going on a lone journey as entrepreneurs, they have brought the business community together through the Business Today TOP 40 corporate awards.

Talent is the primary quality that every entrepreneur must possess. They must not be lazy. They must think strategically and look for strategies for success. Entrepreneurs must be innovative—continuous success results from innovation rather than remaining comfortable doing what one already knows. Mathi and Glenda Parthipan, yours have been a discerning and thoughtful journey in business. Since you embarked on your entrepreneurial journey, we have witnessed strategic thinking that has gone in to ensure continuous progress and growth, and we are extremely happy for your success.

However, the sole mission of an entrepreneur is not generating wealth. Every entrepreneur must possess unique qualities. Entrepreneurs must focus on maintaining good health. Most businesspeople globally disregard their health to focus on business success and income generation, only to spend their wealth on combating many health problems. We know that Mathi Parthipan is a businessman who invests much time in maintaining good health practices.

We also know that Mathi Parthipan is a businessman who loves his country. We value entrepreneurs who love their country. Businesspeople must embrace national politics over party politics. Businesses that align with political parties can damage themselves. What we have seen in the past is the common practice of businesspeople, government officers, artists, entertainers, and the clergy aligning with incumbent governments. Sri Lanka will prosper if all these individuals embrace a national agenda over partisan politics. Looking back, we see that a lack of political neutrality has harmed Sri Lanka. In such a reality, we appreciate the role played by President Ranil Wickremesinghe by undertaking to steer the country amid multiple challenges. Mr. Mathi Parthipan refrained from embracing party politics, and a testament to that is President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s participation in the Business Today TOP 40 awards as the Opposition Leader. You always sought to work with all the leaders across the political divide, irrespective of the outcome, which we genuinely appreciate.

As we meet as a collective in a challenging and crucial year, we hope that Mathi and Glenda Parthipan and their organization and the businesspeople gathered here will have the strength to go beyond their current roles and responsibilities to pursue more meaningful projects to build a better Sri Lanka where all of us can live happily and with satisfaction. Theruwan Saranai.

Speech by Upul Perera, Executive Director, BT Options at the Business Today TOP 40 Awards

upul-perera

Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, Venerable Diyapattugama Revatha Thero, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Governor of Southern Province, Ministers, Members of Parliament and distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

It’s the 25th anniversary year of the Business Today Awards. We are happy to come back to the Presidential Secretariat to hold the event, adding to the previous prestigious venues such as President’s House and Temple Trees.

We are blessed by the presence of both Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, who has been very supportive and Venerable Diyapattugama Revatha Thero, who has been our strength at all times, especially at the time when the company was making a lot of changes with the impact on business during the pandemic. Venerable Galboda Gnanissara Thero, we thank him for his unwavering support and guidance throughout the years. We sincerely miss him today and wish him a speedy recovery.

We are honoured to have President Ranil Wickremesinghe as our chief guest today. He has addressed and shared valuable thoughts and concepts in this event.

We express our gratitude to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his support and guidance over the years. We are thankful to Mr Basil Rajapakse for recognizing our strengths and capabilities and giving us impossible deadlines to complete projects. We wish to thank Dr P B Jayasundara and Ms Sharmali Gunewardane.

We also wish to thank Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister Harin Fernando and Minister Tiran Alles for all their support. We thank Mr Johnston Fernando, who stood by us and Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, who supported us. We extend our gratitude to the senior advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff, Mr Sagala Ratnayake, the Secretary to the President, Mr Saman Ekanayake and the Private Secretary to the President, Ms Sandra Perera, for the support extended throughout the years. We truly appreciate the support of Dinesh Weerakkody as always. Big appreciation to Thusitha Halloluwa, who has been continuously supporting us.

We thank Nalin Perera, private secretary to the Minister of Tourism, for his support.

Very special thanks to Mr Harry Jayawardane for his support, recognition and concern.

We thank Mr Manilal Fernando for supporting us and Mr Nithi Murugesu for all the advice.

It is with great respect and pride that we speak here about the patronage of Mr Anselm Perera of Mlesna, who has been advertising with us since the first issue of Explore Sri Lanka in May 1987 and continues to support us even today. He persuaded us to re-commence Explore Sri Lanka after the pandemic.

We thank you Mr Thusitha Wijesena of Kandy City Centre, also for your continued patronage.

We thank all the advertisers in our magazines.

During the current challenging period, we recognize the cooperation of Mr Kaleel, Mr Charles De Silva and special thanks to Shiraz, who extended his support when in need.

Moving on to our hotels, Arugambay, we see a positive vibe after 2018 which means to say after four tourist seasons. We must remember that this destination became a buzzword and a must-visit destination in Sri Lanka. Arugambay is one of the best surfing spots in the world. It was at number eight in Lonely Planet’s Best in Asia in 2018, even before the country was named number one. It is the first time that a Sri Lankan destination was named on the list. Yet, not so long ago, this coastal town in the southeast of the country was considered seasonal and famed only for surfing with backpackers. BT Options continuously promoted Arugambay and Whisky Point, showcasing that it is a destination for the entire year; thus, Arugambay has been elevated to a global destination through our efforts. It is the first tourist spot to be ever mentioned as a must-visit destination.

Surfing is gaining popularity around the world. President too met the surfing federation in Arugambay when he was the Prime Minister and discussed developing the industry. It was planned to start annually from 2019 in Arugambay and Hikkaduwa.

The global surfing tourism market share of USD 9.5 billion in 2022 and it is likely to surpass USD 17 billion by 2032, moving ahead with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6% during the forecast period.

Surfing was introduced for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. In 2024 Paris Olympics, the surf competition will be held in Tahiti. As Gujarat in India is planning to bid for the Olympics in 2036, Sri Lanka has the chance or advantage to host the qualifying rounds here if we start promoting and holding the world qualifying competitions from now on.

BT Options value the partnerships with Theepan, Naleem and Don Jayasooriya for Paper Moon Kudils, Arugambay Roccos and ArugamBay PodBay, respectively.

We also wish to introduce the partnerships of our other ventures, which were planned before 2019.

Upali Beach Surf Resort at the main surfing point, partnering with Asanka, whose grand father went from Galle to Arugambay and started in 1957.

Peanut Farm in Panama, partnering with Gunasena and his son Wije, the family who has been living and continuing with the tourism business in this property for over 70 years, that is to say, four generations and still struggle to get the necessary approvals to develop. Sad to note that many others trying to possess it unethically. This land is not connected to any other land issues in Panama as it is marked by authorities as a separate property of Gune’s family.

While we discuss our entry into the hospitality industry, we express our gratitude to Hatton National Bank and Commercial Bank of Ceylon, who have been facilitating our hotels in Arugambay. It was only with this entry in 2015 we sought financial assistance from commercial banks. We had not obtained any facility from the Banks prior to that. We sincerely thank HNB and Commercial Bank for the support that they extend during this challenging time.

We thank, Dinesh Dodamgoda for always advising us and providing the necessary guidance in the battle on many fronts.

We wish to thank Dinesh Weerakkoday again for conceptualizing Business Today TOP 10, Keith Bernard and Shiron Gooneratne, team members of the Business Today TOP corporate ranking.

We thank Mr Suren Rajakarier of KPMG for his assistance and support in selecting the Business Today TOP 40.

Our special thanks to Thusitha Halloluwa and Ruwan Ferdinandez for being with us since 1990s.

Our thanks to Mr Hemantha Perera of Fab.

We also wish to bring to your kind attention that BT Options has been selling Apple products and providing services since 1996. We have provided many Apple-based solutions. When Heinlein Society in USA wanted to give an award to Arthur C Clarke in 2004, Apple US requested our support to make it possible via Apple Technology. Our service was highly commended by Heinlein USA, who wrote to Steve Jobs appreciating the service of BT Options as one excellent and resourceful partner. We invite all who gathered here to remember us before you purchase Apple products but not only for support and services.

We strongly recommend all in the audience to use Apple Fitness and we could assist in setting up.

We express our utmost gratitude to the President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mr Sagala Ratnayake, Mr Saman Ekanayake and Ms Sandra Perera again for giving us this venue to hold this year’s award ceremony during this difficult time. As you are aware, we have been self-funding for the selection and awards from the income generated through the advertisements in the publications. Hence, we kindly invite the Top 40 and other corporates to patronage by advertising in Business Today and Explore Sri Lanka. We will look for event sponsorship from next year.

We welcome all your suggestions for the selection, and we are ready to change the criteria if necessary.

Thank You.

Private Sector Urged to Become Engines of Growth in
Sri Lanka’s Economy

president-ranil-wickremesinghe

During his address at the Business Today Top 40 Awards Ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted the need for a strong, export-oriented economy. He emphasized the importance of engaging in comprehensive economic and technological collaborations with India and negotiating entry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), while maintaining RCEP standards and remaining open to possibilities.

Furthermore, the President emphasized the need for modernizing and updating traditional sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, logistics, and tourism. He also urged the private sector to submit proposals for becoming the engines of Sri Lanka’s economic growth.

President Wickremesinghe also discussed the challenges that Sri Lanka faces this year and called for private sector involvement in tackling these challenges. He revealed that the government has set aside a billion rupees for Artificial Intelligence (AI) next year, with a focus on green energy technologies and renewable energy. The President also outlined the government’s plans to pursue the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after RCEP, for which the government has already established criteria.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presented Awards to 40 Veteran Businessmen at the Award Ceremony.

This event was attended by Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, Deputy Minister Diana Gamage, Members of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Udaya Gammanpila, Sarath Weerasekera, Premanath C. Dolawatta, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President Mr Sagala Ratnayake, President’s Secretary Mr Saman Ekanayake, Southern Province Governor Mr Willie Gamage, Former Ministers John Amaratunga, Arjuna Ranatunga and Veteran Businessmen including Mathi Parthipan and Glenda Parthipan.

Following is the full speech made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Business Today Top 40 Awards Ceremony.

Venerable members of the Sanga, Members of Parliament, I must mention Mathi and Glenda, distinguished guests and friends. We are meeting in a different surrounding. The story of that we will leave for Mathi to write in his magazine, next time.

It has been two years since our last meeting, and looking back, I don’t believe anyone could have predicted the outcome of the past difficult years. Today, we gather here having just navigated our way out of the crisis we faced. However, we still have a long way to go before we can achieve a stable and fast-growing economy.

During this time, the Secretary to the Treasury, the State Minister, and the Governor attended the Spring Session in Washington and received encouraging messages from many multinational organizations that are willing to assist us. However, there is one condition that we need to fulfil, which is our agreement with the IMF.

Recently, I had a Zoom meeting with the Japanese Minister of Finance, India’s Minister of Finance, and the Head of the Paris Club in France, who represented all the creditors. They encouraged us to move forward, and we are also in talks with China, our other main  partner, to join us in resolving this issue.

We will move forward together and individually, and the progress we have made so far has impressed many. In a short period, we turned the situation around through common sense and tough decision-making. This was probably the most challenging phase of my life, surpassing even my time in the Ministry of Education.

We had to make decisions that adversely affected a segment of the population, but in the long run, it was necessary for the betterment of the country. In the medium term, we can expect to see positive results.

There are two main challenges we face, the first being revenue. Despite everything, we need money. Therefore, we must find ways to increase revenue. Personal and company taxes were raised as the only viable solution at the time, although it is not a perfect solution. We hope to have a better revenue collection system and tax structure in the future. Currently, the Treasury is focusing on revenue collection, and we aim to make improvements this year.

The second challenge is debt restructuring, and there is no need to fear it. As we move forward, we must address the issue of salaries for the government’s 1.7 million employees, some of whom will retire while others will find new jobs.

The government’s expenditure on the armed forces is also a concern, but we have calculated that by 2028, this issue will be under control. However, the larger concern is the amount of money we will need to pay salaries and pensions for those who will retire in the coming years. According to Treasury estimates, we may run into trouble from about 2030 onwards.

Therefore, this is a crucial issue that we must address. We can restructure debt and increase revenue, but we must also focus on the budget and retirement benefits for current employees. Despite these challenges, we will still need to obtain loans from time to time as we move forward.

Our balance of payment is not currently in our favour, so the next step we are taking is to implement reforms and restructuring to create opportunities for growth. Our immediate action this month has been to present the IMF arrangement to Parliament and request support. By the end of next month, we aim to have our growth agenda ready, with the Economic Stabilization Committee having already prepared their report and other drafts being reviewed and amended by the President’s Office and other stakeholders.

Looking towards the long-term future, we have set our sights on 2048, as well as the next five and ten years. Our plan is to open up the economy quickly by removing many of the barriers and hindrances that have been present for the past few decades. Our goal is to become a dynamic and export-oriented economy, with major initiatives such as entering into a comprehensive economic and technological partnership with India and joining the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership).

Our objective is to reach the RCEP standards and eventually join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as well. To achieve this, we must modernize traditional industries such as agriculture and fisheries, develop a new approach to tourism and logistics, focus on green and renewable energy, and prioritize artificial intelligence by setting aside a billion rupees next year for this purpose.

To support these initiatives, we need a skilled workforce, including 10,000 engineers and 5,000 doctors annually, along with IT technicians and other professionals. The government currently operates around 400 vocational and technical training institutes, which may require running two shifts and partnering with the private sector to meet the demand for skilled workers.

As we open up the economy, we are leaving the burden of growth to the private sector, and we expect each of you to contribute to this vision. We will be seeking your input and participation in the coming months, as we work together to build a new future for our country.

We will engage with all of you, and the country will be watching closely. If you want the private sector to be the driving force behind growth, then you need to devise a plan and deliver results. I do not want to take up more of your time. I just wanted to give you an overview of what we intend to do and what we have done.

There have been many queries regarding the growth agenda and our plans for other issues. So, here we are. We are ready to move forward, and we will be consulting with you all in the next few months to determine your contributions and roles in the new economy.

Speeches by five companies from BT Top 40
2021-2022

Mohan Pandithage, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys

mohan-pandithage

Respected members of clergies, His Excellency, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Secretary to the President, Mr. Saman Ekanayake, Chief of Staff Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, and all Senior Government Officials, Distinguished guests.

As the Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys I am honoured to accept this prestigious award. It is the second consecutive year that Hayleys has been ranked number one in the Business Today Top 40 list, along with several of our Group Companies. Indeed, over the past few years, Hayleys has consistently topped multiple business rankings in Sri Lanka, despite operating in an unprecedented and challenging environment.

52% of our revenue comes from value-added export businesses, generating US$616 Mn of foreign earnings, constituting 4.2% of the country’s export revenue.

Hayleys commands globally leading market positions in several key sectors, such as the coconut-shell activated carbon industry, premium value-added gloves and coconut fibre products. All three of our Regional Plantation Companies are respectively ranked the number one, two and three in Sri Lanka. We are the industry leader in textile manufacturing, sought after for our innovative fabric by top tier global apparel brands. In agriculture, we cater to both domestic and export markets, and are today the country’s largest exporter of processed fruits and vegetables. More recently, our Construction Materials sector began aluminium extrusion exports, and we currently ship 200 metric tonnes a month.

We are the number one transportation and Logistics Company in Sri Lanka, bringing in a substantial amount of foreign exchange earnings. The Sector owns the largest fleet of floating assets in the country, including the nation’s sole container vessel. Hayleys supplies around 50MW of renewable energy to the national grid. Also we have successfully installed upto 125 MW of Rooftop Solar systems island wide.

32,000 direct employees of Hayleys work hard every day to earn these successes, joined by hundreds of thousands of indirect employees within our communities. This award belongs to each and every one of them.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Business Today and to all our partners and stakeholders for their support as we continue this inspiring journey together.

Thank you.

Kapila Jayawardena, Group Managing Director and CEO, LOLC Holdings

Kapila Jayawardena

Most Venerable Members of the Sanga, His Excellency, Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka, Honorable Members of Parliament and other Distinguished Guests.

I would like to thank Parthipan and his team for inviting me and for selecting LOLC Holdings into his elite list of best performing companies in Sri Lanka or Sri Lanka’s top performers consecutively for a long time and would also like to thank my team because LOLC Holdings wouldn’t be where it is today without the strength, the courage and the focus of the 27,000 people that we have within the Group.

Sri Lanka, I think had the most turbulent last three years. Started with COVID, the political unrest and the economic meltdown. And I’m very happy and proud to stand here and say that LOLC Holdings have been consistently improving, consistently growing all our numbers and all our ratios. We have been the most profitable listed company for the past three years. As a proud Sri Lankan, I am very happy to say, today we have a presence in 22 countries. Five years ago we had a presence only in three countries, so there is a very rigorous focus on growing our international business, so that has made us very well rounded and very well diversified and even in Sri Lanka other than our financial institution business which used to be our core business of the group, today, we are Sri Lanka’s number one Tea Producer and on the leisure side we have many beautiful properties in Sr Lanka.

LOLC has sponsored Sri Lanka’s most generous program of helping the needy. We first started with distribution of food items to the poorest of the poor during the crisis. Now, we are in the process of giving one year’s requirement of books to the most needy school children across the country. Both programs of unprecedented scales cutting across all communities, religions, and geographies in Sri Lanka.

I would like to thank you again Parthi for inviting me and would like to wish all of you the very best.

Prof Ananda Jayawardena, Chairman, Commercial Bank

Venerable Maha Sanga, members of reverend clergy, His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Honorable Ranil Wickremesinghe, Members of Parliament and distinguished guests.

I am extremely privileged to accept this award on behalf of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC for being ranked third in Business Today’s ‘Top 40’ public listed corporates in Sri Lanka.

As the benchmark bank in Sri Lanka and the largest private Bank in the country, Commercial Bank has been serving Sri Lankans to achieve their financial dreams and has made an immense contribution to the national economy, for well over 100 years. We are also proud to be the Sri Lankan Private Bank with the largest international footprint, venerable Maha Sanga, members of reverend clergy, His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Honorable Ranil Wickremesinghe, Members of Parliament and distinguished guests.

I am extremely privileged to accept this award on behalf of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC for being ranked third in Business Today’s ‘Top 40’ public listed corporates in Sri Lanka.

As the benchmark bank in Sri Lanka and the largest private Bank in the country, Commercial Bank has been serving Sri Lankans to achieve their financial dreams and has made an immense contribution to the national economy, for well over 100 years. We are also proud to be the Sri Lankan Private Bank with the largest international footprint, strategies that create value for the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that this approach has made us resilient and robust, and our consistent commitment to quality has earned us a plethora of international and local awards, making us the Most Awarded Bank in Sri Lanka.

As experienced during the last 2-3 years, Commercial Bank has always pledged to serve Sri Lankans through good times as well as challenging times, helping our citizens to fulfill their financial aspirations in a sustainable manner.

I take this opportunity to thank our valued customers, shareholders and all other stakeholders for their loyalty and unwavering trust placed in us.

The success of the Bank is due to the passion, commitment and hard work of our dedicated team and I also wish to take this opportunity to thank all present and past employees of the Bank for their contributions.

In conclusion, I would like to mention a beautiful quote by world famous Poet and Author Dr. Maya Angelou on “Hope” that reads: “If one has courage; nothing can dim the light that shines from within: Let us as a courageous nation keep the attic lights bright and the collective dream sustainable to bounce back and proposer as a country”

Thank you.

Sampath Perera, Managing Director, Melstacorp

sampath-perera

Respected and esteemed members of the Clergy, His excellency President Wickremesinghe, honourable Ministers, Members of Parliament and the Governors, Mathi and his exceptional team, and distinguished guests!

It is with great honour that I stand before you today, representing our Group Chairman, the Main Board of MelstaCorp Group, and over 23,000 committed and hardworking colleagues, including our valuable customers, supportive shareholders, suppliers, and other stakeholders. We are truly humbled and honored by this recognition from Business Today.

We wish to express our gratitude to our Chairman Deshamanya Harry Jayawardena for his unwavering passion, leadership, and excellence that have brought us to these heights.

As a diversified conglomerate with significant investments in several public quoted companies and near 100 entities, MelstaCorp remains guided by our mission, principles and values. We continue to be true to our vision which is to pursue excellence and make a difference.

It is no secret that we have faced challenging times as a nation and as an economy. Despite the hardships, we are committed to playing our part in the national effort to stabilize the economy and will continue to extend our fullest cooperation to help achieve national economic targets.

At MelstaCorp, we have learned to embrace change, and the challenges that come with it. We work hard to adapt quickly, act decisively and maintain operations in even during the most difficult times.

We may not know fully what lies ahead, the extent or the nature of the next big event, whether it is a black-swan or another, or implications of such events. We plan hard, knowing that through economic setbacks or calamities, fresh economic orders emerge, creating new opportunities. We believe the shifts in the current global economic landscape will give rise to new opportunities. We aspire to play a leading role in capturing these in a manner that would serve our stakeholders and the nation.

I also wish to extend my heartiest congratulations to all the winners and those bravely fighting the current economic challenges. We are inspired by your dedication and commitment to making Sri Lanka a better place.

Thank you once again, and we wish you all continued success.

Jonathan Alles, Managing Director and CEO, Hatton National Bank

jonathan-alles

Respected members of the clergy, President Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, Senior Government dignitaries, Mr Mathi Parthipan, Mrs Glenda Parthipan, Corporate and Business Leaders, a very good evening to you all.

It is an honour for HNB to once again to be ranked among Sri Lanka’s top corporates for 2022, and at the outset, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to Business Today and its esteemed panel of judges for recognizing and celebrating our performance, and our commitment to excellence and exceptional service for our customers.

At HNB, we have a long and proud history of serving the Sri Lankan people. For generations, we have worked at the forefront of the nation’s economic growth, partnering with businesses of all sizes and supporting Sri Lankans to live their dreams.

Over the past five years, our nation has faced escalating challenges, of which 2022 was the culmination of local and global headwinds. Despite these historic difficulties HNB has continued to demonstrate immense resilience, strength and stability.

Evolving needs of our customers continue to be at the center of our proposition. While supporting customers to overcome the challenges posed by the economic crisis on one side, we have continued our digital journey, repositioning into a single promise: that HNB will be a joy to bank with.

This is a vision which our entire team is united behind, and we stand ready to deliver seamless, frictionless banking experiences, that deliver real value into the hands of our customers, and support our nation’s collective mission to revive and rejuvenate our economy by unlocking new opportunities from the grassroots up.

I am proud to say that the hard work and dedication of our entire team have paid off. Despite the challenges posed by the current economic environment, we continue to perform at the highest level. I would like to commend our team for their unwavering personal and collective commitment to delivering excellence in the face of immense hardships arising from the economic crisis, and the COVID pandemic.

I also wish to thank our Chairperson and the Board of Directors for their support and guidance, and our Management team for continuously demonstrating high standards of leadership throughout a moment of historic uncertainty.

Most importantly we thank our customers for their continued patronage and the trust and confidence which they have placed in our organization.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all of our peers and colleagues in the Sri Lankan business community for their contributions to the sustainable development of our country. Together, we can help Sri Lanka reach its full potential.

In conclusion, I thank you once again, Mathi, Glenda, and the panel of judges for this recognition. It is an honor to be among such a distinguished group of companies, and we will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.

I wish you all an enjoyable evening and much blessings. Thank you.

Business Today Top 40
2021 - 2022

mohan-pandithage

Hayleys/Singer Sri Lanka/Dipped Products/Haycarb/Hayleys Fabrics

Mohan Pandithage accepting the award for Hayleys, Singer Sri Lanka, Dipped Products, Haycarb and Hayleys Fabrics.

LOLC Holdings

Kapila Jayawardena accepting the award for LOLC Holdings accepting the award for LOLC Holdings.

commercial-bank-of-ceylon

Commercial Bank of Ceylon

Prof Ananda Jayawardane and Sanath Manatunge accepting the award for Commercial Bank.

m-n-sampath-perera

Melstacorp/DCSL

M N Sampath Perera accepting the award for Melstacorp and DCSL.

jonathan-alles

Hatton National Bank

Jonathan Alles accepting the award for Hatton National Bank.

John Keells Holdings

Suresh Rajendra accepting the award for John Keells Holdings.

nanda-fernando

Sampath Bank

Nanda Fernando accepting the award for Sampath Bank.

Vallibel One

Dinusha Bhaskaran accepting the award for Vallibel One.

aravinda-perera

Royal Ceramics Lanka

Aravinda Perera accepting the award for Royal Ceramics Lanka.

rohan-fernando

Sri Lanka Telecom

Rohan Fernando accepting the award for Sri Lanka Telecom.

Richard Pieris and Company

Viville Perera accepting the award for Richard Pieris and Company.

dimantha-seneviratne

National Development Bank

Dimantha Seneviratne accepting the award for National Development Board.

Dialog Axiata

Supun Weerasinghe accepting the award for Dialog Axiata.

sumith-adhihetty

LB Finance

Sumith Adhihetty accepting the award for LB Finance.

dr-rohan-fernando

Aitken Spence

Dr Rohan Fernando accepting the award for Aitken Spence

hari-selvanathan

Bukit Darah

Hari Selvanathan accepting the award for Bukit Darah.

kasturi-chellaraja

Hemas Holdings

Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson accepting the award for Hemas Holdings

Ceylinco Insurance

Patrick Alwis receiving the award for Ceylinco Insurance.

A M Weerasinghe

Lanka Walltile

A M Weerasinghe accepting the award for Lanka Walltile.

chandima-Gunawardenag

Carson Cumberbatch

Chandima Gunawardena accepting the award for Carson Cumberbatch.

sanjay-niles

Cargills Ceylon/CT Holdings

Sanjay Niles accepting the award for Cargills Ceylon and CT Holdings.

rajiv-meewakkala

Lion Brewery Ceylon/ Ceylon Beverage Holdings

Rajiv Meewakkala accepting the award for Lion Brewery Ceylon and Ceylon Beverage Holdings.

pradeep-amirthanayagam

People’s Leasing and Finance

Pradeep Amirthanayagam and Shamindra Marcelline accepting the award for People’s Leasing and Finance.

daya-wahalatantiri

ACL Cables

Daya Wahalatantiri accepting the award for ACL Cables.

Sunshine Holdings

Vish Govindasamy accepting the award for Sunshine Holdings.

CIC Holdings

Aroshan Seresinhe accepting the award for CIC Holdings.

DFCC Bank

Shamalie Gunewardana accepting the award for DFCC Bank

Asiri Hospital Holdings

Nihal Ratnayake accepting the award for Asiri Hospital Holdings.

Pan Asia Bank

Naleen Edirisinghe accepting the award for Pan Asia Bank.

The Business Today TOP 40 companies were recognized for their resilience through challenging times….

President Ranil Wickremesinghe with Senior advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayake; Mathi K Parthipan, Chairman_Managing Director, BT Options and Glenda Parthipan.

Dinesh Weerakkody conceptualized the Business Today Top Corporate ranking, while Keith Bernard and Shiron Gooneratne have been part of the ranking process.

Glenda and Mathi K Parthipan.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe with Paper Moon Kudils, Arugambay Roccos, Peanut Farm, Upali Beach Surf Resort and Mambo’s Arugambay.

BT Options staff.

Business Today Top 40
2021 - 2022
Video Gallery

Hayleys/Singer Sri Lanka/Dipped Products/Haycarb/Hayleys Fabrics

LOLC Holdings

Commercial Bank of Ceylon

Melstacorp/DCSL

Hatton National Bank

John Keells Holdings

Sampath Bank

Vallibel One

Royal Ceramics Lanka

Sri Lanka Telecom

Richard Pieris and Company

National Development Bank

Dialog Axiata

LB Finance

Aitken Spence

Bukit Darah

Hemas Holdings

Ceylinco Insurance

Lanka Walltile

Carson Cumberbatch

Cargills Ceylon/CT Holdings

Lion Brewery Ceylon/ Ceylon Beverage Holdings

People’s Leasing and Finance

ACL Cables

Sunshine Holdings

CIC Holdings

DFCC Bank

Asiri Hospital Holdings

Pan Asia Bank