Savio, Yasith guide St. Joseph Vaz to semis
Phillips’ century, Duffy’s four-for topple India
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in the perfect finale to entertaining tri-series
Sarasavi Uyana College claim victory in inaugural “Singha Denuvange Ran Satana” Girls’ Rugby Big Match
Chathuranga and Wijethunga clinch 400m titles at Army Athletics Championship
LMD magazine has named Mohan Pandithage, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys PLC, as its Businessman for the Year 2025.
Pandithage joined Hayleys in 1969 as a management trainee and has since risen through the ranks to lead one of Sri Lanka’s most diversified conglomerates. He became a board member in 1998 and assumed the role of Chief Executive in 2009.
Under his leadership, Hayleys has maintained its position as a leading player in the private sector. The group has been recognised as Sri Lanka’s top listed company on seven occasions, including the past two years. Its operations now span 16 sectors and over 80 global markets, covering industries from agriculture and manufacturing to logistics, leisure and renewable energy.
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Pandithage has played a significant role in the logistics and transport sectors. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and serves on the Advisory Council of the Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents and the Council of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon.
His contributions have been recognised with several industry accolades, including the Pinnacle Lifetime Award by CILT, the Best Shipping Personality Award from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, and induction into the Sri Lanka Aviation Hall of Fame.
Pandithage also serves as the Honorary Consul of Mexico to Sri Lanka.
The Businessman for the Year award is presented by LMD to acknowledge leadership and impact within Sri Lanka’s corporate sector.
NDB Bank supports national SME recovery initiative
Pasad Weerasekera appointed to the Board of AgriOne Solutions
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Dr. P. S. Narendra de Silva, an electrical engineer with extensive experience in utility management, power distribution and engineering research, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Electricity Distribution Lanka (EDL), placing a seasoned power sector professional at the helm of a company expected to play a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s restructured electricity industry.
His appointment comes at a critical juncture for the country’s electricity sector, as the restructuring of the former Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) places greater emphasis on operational efficiency, service reliability, financial discipline and the integration of renewable energy into the national grid.
De Silva brings experience spanning the private engineering sector, academia and senior management at the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), where he held key engineering and management responsibilities before becoming General Manager and Chief Executive Officer.
He also served as Acting General Manager of the CEB during 2023–2024, giving him experience of the operational and institutional challenges confronting the country’s electricity utility.
His professional background could prove particularly relevant as EDL works to establish its identity as a separate electricity distribution company while maintaining continuity of service to consumers and strengthening the technical foundations of the distribution network.
The challenge extends beyond keeping the lights on. Distribution utilities must increasingly manage fluctuating demand, rooftop solar generation, network congestion, voltage fluctuations and the investment requirements associated with a rapidly changing energy landscape.
De Silva’s background in power systems and electrical engineering research provides a technical dimension to the leadership profile at a time when such challenges are becoming increasingly important to the sector.
He graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Moratuwa, completing his undergraduate studies between 1991 and 1995. He subsequently pursued specialised postgraduate studies in power systems and obtained a PhD from Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom, focusing on power electronics and advanced electrical machines.
He also holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka, adding a legal qualification to his engineering and management experience.
De Silva began his professional career in 1995 as a project engineer at Lanka Transformers Limited, now associated with LTL Holdings. The experience provided an industrial foundation before he moved into academic and utility-sector responsibilities.
He served as a senior lecturer at the University of Moratuwa during 2006–2007 and has also contributed to engineering education through visiting academic appointments.
His career at LECO began in 2007, when he became involved in engineering, research and development. He subsequently headed the engineering function before moving into the company’s top management.
LECO’s experience in modernising electricity distribution and accommodating rooftop solar generation provides a useful context for assessing the expertise he brings to EDL.
The challenges facing distribution companies are becoming more complex as consumers increasingly move from being passive electricity users to generating and exporting power through rooftop photovoltaic systems.
In a publication documenting LECO’s development, the Asian Development Bank highlighted the company’s early adoption of rooftop solar net metering and the emerging pressure that distributed solar generation placed on low-voltage networks.
Such developments illustrate why distribution planning, grid management and investment in modern technology are becoming central to utility performance.
De Silva’s professional interests have also been associated with emerging areas such as smart grids, microgrids, distributed generation, voltage regulation and peer-to-peer energy trading.
These technologies could have implications for how electricity distribution networks are operated in the years ahead, although their practical deployment will depend on regulatory arrangements, investment and system requirements.
His professional credentials include fellowship of the UK-based Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), alongside engineering qualifications and affiliations reflecting his involvement in the technical profession.
For EDL, the immediate priorities are likely to centre on maintaining reliable electricity supplies, improving operational performance, managing distribution assets and strengthening customer services within the new institutional framework.
The company must also navigate the financial and organisational implications of the wider restructuring of the electricity industry.
The separation of electricity generation, transmission and distribution functions is intended to create a more clearly defined institutional structure. However, the success of such reforms will ultimately be judged by measurable improvements in efficiency, accountability, service quality and the management of costs across the electricity value chain.
For consumers and businesses, the key test will be whether these structural changes translate into fewer interruptions, faster responses to faults, more efficient connections and a distribution network capable of accommodating future electricity demand.
The increasing contribution of renewable energy adds another layer to that responsibility. Solar and wind generation can reduce dependence on conventional power sources, but their effective integration requires stronger network planning, appropriate voltage management and investment in distribution infrastructure.
EDL’s leadership will therefore need to balance immediate operational demands with longer-term modernisation, while ensuring that technical improvements deliver tangible benefits to households, industries and commercial users.
De Silva’s career, combining industrial experience, academic involvement, research and senior utility management, provides a background suited to the technical and institutional demands of the position.
His appointment places him in a role where engineering expertise must be matched by effective corporate leadership and the ability to translate sector reforms into practical improvements in electricity distribution.
Low-income households in Sri Lanka – for whom bakery products serve as a crucial staple – are facing severe financial strain as the cost of daily essentials continues to spiral.
The All-Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association (ACBOA) warned yesterday that prices of bread and other bakery items have been forced upward due to the government’s failure to intervene and curb rising flour costs.
Speaking to the media on the escalating crisis, ACBOA President N.K. Jayewardene stated that bakeries have been left with no alternative but to pass the cost burden onto consumers. He issued a stark warning that without immediate state intervention and price stabilization mechanisms, the price of a standard loaf of bread could surge to Rs. 500.
Bakery owners noted that despite repeated discussions with relevant authorities and consumer regulatory bodies, prices of wheat flour and essential baking ingredients continue to escalate without any regulatory relief.
With low-income populations heavily reliant on affordable bakery products, persistent price hikes are severely threatening household food security and further eroding daily purchasing power. The Association urged the government to stabilise raw material costs before staple foods drift completely out of reach for ordinary citizens.
Reiterating these concerns, several consumers expressed deep anxiety over the unrelenting cost of living, urging immediate policy interventions to cushion the impact on Sri Lanka’s most vulnerable demographics.
Some citizens also voiced reservations about speaking out publicly regarding their hardship, citing growing concerns over proposed legislative measures – specifically the Online Safety Act and the Anti-Terrorism Bill – which rights advocates warn could curtail freedom of expression and democracy in the country.
CSE yesterday kicked off on a positive note but later it gradually declined due to rising global oil prices, market analysts said.
Amid those developments both indices moved downward. The All Share Price Index went down by 124.08 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 23.28 points.
Turnover stood at Rs 969 million with one crossing. The crossing was; Commercial Bank 450,000 shares crossed to the tune of 50 million; its shares traded at Rs 200.
In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover: LOLC Holdings Rs 68 million (183,000 shares traded), Commercial Bank Rs 59 million (298,000 shares traded), Softlogic Capital Rs 49 million (5.3 million shares traded), Lanka Realty Investments Rs 48 million (1 million shares traded), Ambeon Capital Rs 33 million (1.2 million shares traded), JKH Rs 32 million (1.7 million shares traded) and Singer SriLanka Rs 26 million (372,000 shares traded). During the day 48.69 million share volumes changed hands in 13882 transactions.
It is said that banking sector counters, especially Commercial Bank, performed well while financial sector counters also performed well.
Meanwhile, Bairaha Farms PLC reported a 49.7 percent fall in net profit to Rs 213.7 million for the September 2026 quarter, hit by higher taxes, finance costs and losses in joint venture operations.
Further, Watawala Plantations PLC declared a first interim dividend of 80 cents (Rs. 0.80) per share for the financial year ending March 31, 2027, with the ex-dividend date set for November 9.
Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 332.60/70 to the US dollar in the spot market, weaker from Rs 332.55/65 the previous day, while bond yields were steady, dealers said.
Continue Reading Latest Trending Weather 6 hours ago Showers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Kurunegala, Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 1.00 p.m. News 7 hours ago PSTB sharply deviates from expert committee’s report News 7 hours ago ITAK, DTNA mount joint protest against PTA News 7 hours ago Geneva, too, finds fault with PSTA News 7 hours ago ILO: Heat stress could cost Sri Lanka, Maldives 147,000 jobs by 2040 News 7 hours ago 1,391,830 Aswesuma application rejected: Opportunity given to appeal News 5 years ago ‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’ News 6 years ago Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines News 6 years ago #SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines News 6 years ago Sunday Island – 28th March News 6 years ago Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March News 6 years ago Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines Trending Features 4 days ago Search for truth and justice in mass graves
Court says no authority to order robe reinstatement for Gnanasara Thera
Dialog Axiata and IITM Pravartak partner for Sri Lankan technological advancement
‘All-inclusive Constitution’: Harini’s statement in CNN interview draws criticism
United we create more value, divided we lose
Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-western and Northern provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Anuradhapura districts
Norochcholai unit goes offline again, raising fresh questions over power security
Copyright © 2020 Upali Newspapers (Pvt) Ltd. Solution by LankaCom Privacy Policy
Loading comments…