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Electronics The electronics industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Sri Lanka is a very competitive location for the production of all kinds of electrical products and electronic components including magnetic reading heads for audio and video equipment, ferrite core transformers, coils and filters, TV antenna and telephone systems. All electronic components conform to international standards and strict quality control measures are applied. Several institutes offer to technicians and apprentices, training in the field of electronics which covers assembly, testing and trouble-shooting of printed circuit boards, industrial control and feedback systems. Special emphasis is given to 'in-plant' training. The talents of the Sri Lankan work force are exceptionally well developed in this sector. This accounts for the success of foreign electronics companies based here in exporting to the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Korea. As part of its effort to develop the sector, the Government offers electronics projects special incentives (including grants of up to Rs 30 million) to assist in training, product development and quality control. This sector offers excellent opportunities for new enterprises. Back to Top |
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Information
Technology (IT)
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Light Engineering and Metal Working It is estimated that there are over 600 Light Engineering and Metal Working companies in Sri Lanka today. Exports from this sector include bicycle parts, electrical enclosures, tools and dies, razor blades and sprayers. Sri Lanka has numerous training institutes which annually turn out thousands of metal working and light engineering technicians and apprentices. These institutes have a variety of long and short term courses, including programs for people already working in the industry. Most institutes combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience, including 'in-plant' training. Some schools specialize in certain types of metal working and light engineering, like the Automobile Training Institute and Railway Technical Training Center. Skills learned at these institutes include gas and arc welding, industrial installation, tool cutting and grinding and also the use of CNC milling machines and spark erosion machines. The availability of this strong supply of skilled labor, capable of operating advanced equipment, attracts many foreign investors to Sri Lanka. Several countries in the region, such as Korea and Singapore, even recruit trained Sri Lankans to work in their metal industries abroad. These facts indicate ample opportunities for new projects in this sector. Already companies from Sweden, Germany and Korea are producing precision tools, molds, electrical enclosures and luxury buses for export. Amongst the many incentives for the foreign investor, is the availability of a strong supply of qualified and skilled labor who are capable of operating such equipment as CAD/CAM and CNC machines. Back to Top |
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Agriculture and Agri-Industries Sri Lanka's varied but favorable climate and fertile soil, combined with its productive agricultural work force, underline the country's vast potential for cultivating a wide range of agricultural products and for related agri-industries. In addition to its world-famous tea and coconut plantations, Sri Lanka has a wide variety of high-value crops for which profitable industrial processing could be undertaken, notably Back to Top |
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Fresh fruits These include a variety of tropical and temperate produce including asparagus, strawberries, avocados, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, limes, passion fruit, yams, capsicum, and baby corn. Back to Top |
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Processed fruits and vegetables Products include jams, pickles, gherkins, dehydrated fruits ad vegetables (such as mangoes and mushrooms), fruit pulp and passion fruit juice. Back to Top |
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Nuts Cashew ranks high among the perennial crops in Sri Lanka, and there exist strong markets throughout the world for processed and packaged cashew nuts, as well as for peanuts. Back to Top |
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Herbs and spices Known as the "Spice Garden of the East", Sri Lanka has attracted maritime merchants since the earliest history of sea trading. Cloves, cardamon, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon are grown, processed, and exported on a large scale. Sri Lanka also offers opportunities for projects concerned with essential oils, herbal and medicinal products. Back to Top |
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Coconut products The coconut sector is one of the dominant agricultural sub-sector, providing opportunities not only for desiccated coconut and copra but also for products such as coir mats and matting, brushes, rubber- and coir-mixed mattresses and environmentally-friendly packaging material. Back to Top |
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Floricultural products Sri Lanka's favorable climate allows for the cultivation of high quality temperate and tropical cut flowers such as carnations, orchids, roses, and anthuriums. Live plants, cut leaves, dried and painted foliage are also exported abroad. Back to Top |
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Livestock and dairy With the increase in milk and meat consumption in Sri Lanka, the livestock and dairy sector offers interesting prospects for investment, and a number of attractive concessions. |
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Prawns Sri Lanka's weather and water resources offer ideal conditions for breeding prawns. Fish farming has grown progressively in recent years. Both Giant Tiger Prawns and Giant River Prawns are bred for export. Sophisticated refrigeration facilities at Katunayake Airport ensure product freshness. Aquarium fish Sri Lanka's tropical climate and substantial unpolluted water resources make it a good location for investment in aquarium fish. Present export markets include Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Europe, and the USA. Back to Top |
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Infrastructure Development The growing development of Sri Lanka creates substantial opportunities for investment in infrastructure development. The Government provides attractive incentives for the private sector and strongly encourages foreign investment in infrastructure on the basis of Build-Own-Operate (BOO) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT). Back to Top |
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Power generation Because of planned economic growth, 1100MV additional power will be needed by the year 2000. Back to Top |
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Highways Sri Lanka's Road Development Authority has identified more than 400 kilometers of new highways needed to support the country's growing economy. Back to Top |
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Railway The Government intends to modernize the country's railway system, particularly because of the increase in tourism. Back to Top |
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Ports To reduce pressure on the Port of Colombo, the Port of Galle is to be developed into a major transshipment and container port. Back to Top |
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Environmental infrastructure Opportunities in potable water supply and distribution, waste water treatment and solid waste disposal. Back to Top |
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Services Further investment opportunities exist for office and housing complexes, warehouses and storage facilities (including cold stores), cargo and container facilities. The expanding middle class and growing prosperity indicate opportunities for projects concerned with health care, such as hospitals, clinics, and paramedical services. Economic growth and increased exports offer opportunities for financial services to industry and commerce, to support and assist the numerous and growing number of Sri Lankan exporters, and foreign companies who have established operations here. The strategic location of Sri Lanka on international shipping routes shows clear opportunities for ship repairing, ship breaking and entrepot trading. Back to Top |
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Rubber Products Sri Lanka is one of the top seven producers of rubber in the world, producing more than a hundred thousand tons annually. The ideal climatic and physical conditions allow for the growth of very high quality rubber, and with its long rubber-growing story, Sri Lanka has a large supply of experienced rubber tappers. Sri Lanka already manufactures many rubber products such as health care, household and industrial gloves, high-grade ribbed smoked sheets, pneumatic and solid tires and footwear. Also produced is high-quality latex crepe rubber, suitable for making surgical and pharmaceutical products, infants toys and food containers. Sri Lanka is presently the world leader in the production of solid tires for off-road vehicles. Advanced rubber processing technology, state of the art equipment, and the availability of professionals such as chemists and engineers, have made Sri Lanka an attractive place to establish rubber-based industries. Several institutes in Sri Lanka have a proven record of successfully helping rubber producers and processors to achieve high quality products. 65% of Sri Lankan rubber continues to be exported in primary form. Thus there is ample scope for establishing enterprises for adding value locally. Back to Top |
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Textiles and Garment Accessories Sri Lanka's garment export industry has almost tripled in value since 1989, to over US$ 1,500 million. Exports are expected to increase to US$3,500 million by the year 2000, which will create an enormous demand for fabric. In fact, the domestic textile industry is already so overwhelmed by the demands of the garment export industry that in 1993, Sri Lanka had to import from foreign suppliers 450 million square meters of fabric. Excellent opportunities exist for new producers of woven and knitted fabric, yarn, embroidery and interlining. Accessories, such as zippers and buttons, are so much in demand - Sri Lanka imported more than US$ 50 million worth in 1993 alone. To support the textile products, there are opportunities for dyeing, finishing, and other textile services. Sri Lanka has several institutes focused on the needs of the textile sector, providing training for students as well as for workers already in the industry. Areas of instruction include spinning, weaving, processing, knitting, engineering, and management. Several institutes also provide testing and constancy services to the industry. Back to Top |
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Minerals Sri Lanka has a number of mineral deposits, all of which are of exceptional purity. Indeed, their quality is acclaimed worldwide. Investment opportunities are available for projects which both extract and add value to: Back to Top |
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Ceramics Ceramics is firmly established as an export-oriented industry. Foreign investment in this sector dates back more than twenty years and has increased rapidly in recent years. Sri Lanka's large proven reserves of high quality ball and china clay, together with the skillful labor force, has resulted in the production of fine quality porcelain dinner services and ornaments, ceramic tiles and sanitary ware. Back to Top |
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Graphite Local graphite has a purity of 99%. It provides attractive opportunities for the production of refractories, crucibles, and colloidal graphite. Back to Top |
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Ilmenite Ilmenite has a high concentration of heavy mineral (over 60%). 150,000 tons of it could be produced per annum. Opportunities also exist for converting ilmenite into synthetic rutile. Apatite This is used in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer. Back to Top |
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Quartz (Silica) In Sri Lanka, silica occurs as vein quartz. This quartz is of a very high purity (99.98% SiO2) and exists in large quantities. Silica is used in the glass and ceramic industries, and high technology industries such as fiber optics and electronics. Back to Top |
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Salt Sri Lanka's location and climate are ideal for producing high quality salt by evaporation. The potential exists to produce much larger quantities for export. Back to Top |
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Dimension stone There are enormous quantities of colored granite and other attractive stones which can be cut and polished for use as interior wall and floor finishes, and for exterior cladding on luxury buildings. Back to Top |
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Gems and Jewelry Sri Lanka's long history of jewelry-making dates back to the days of the Royal Courts, when skilled craftsmen fashioned ornate gem-studded chains, bracelets and rings in gold and silver. Today, this tradition lives on, with jewelers utilizing Sri Lanka's wealth of precious and semiprecious stones, such as blue sapphire, topaz, aquamarines, and zircons, to produce beautiful pieces both contemporary and antique in style. Opportunities exist for cutting and polishing precious stones, and the treatment of gems, while a number of reputable institutes provide testing and constancy services to the industry. Click here for more info on Gems of Sri Lanka Back to Top |
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Tourism Projects Sri Lanka's perfect mix of sunshine, beaches, scenery, and culture makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. Foreign tourist arrivals have more than doubled over the last few years and are expected to continue growing in the next decade. While most tourists still come from Europe, an increasing number now arrive from other Asian countries. The higher end of the tourist market provides an excellent opportunity for the development of hotels, resorts, golf courses, and other sports, leisure and recreational resources. There is also considerable scope for new projects to provide tourist facilities related to the country's beautiful scenery, gardens, and wildlife, and to its archaeological and cultural heritage. In addition to the foreign tourist market, Sri Lanka's growing middle-class provides a further reason for investing in the leisure industry. Back to Top |
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Leather Sri Lanka's leather craftsmen produce exquisitely finished, high quality items including travel goods, briefcases, wallets, belts, and gloves. Footwear Sri Lanka has earned a deserved reputation as a producer of high quality footwear, employing the latest technology to make a variety of shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, and sports shoes. Sri Lanka has become an attractive location in which to produce high-value shoes; many leading foreign companies are expanding their operations here. Availability of good quality rubber has also contributed to the expansion of this industry. Toys This rapidly growing industry currently manufactures high-quality soft toys for world renowned brands such as Walt Disney. Opportunities also exist for the production of wooden toys - particularly educational - given the country's well-established wood craftsmanship. Back to Top |
