The Business of Taking Sri Lanka to the World

The 28th Presidential Export Awards 2026 will recognise Sri Lanka’s leading exporters for their performance during the 2025/2026 financial year. Organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the ceremony will be held on 8 December at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. A total of 117 awards will be presented across overall and product and service sector categories, with merit awards also available to qualifying sectors. The event will highlight the importance of export market diversification, innovation, value addition, employment generation, sustainability and the promotion of Sri Lankan brands in international markets.

Sri Lanka’s leading exporters will take centre stage at the 28th Presidential Export Awards 2026, as the country seeks to strengthen its presence in international markets and expand the contribution of exports to the national economy.

Organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 8 December 2026, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), under the patronage of His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Approximately 1,500 guests, including Cabinet Ministers, diplomatic representatives, senior government officials and members of the exporting community, are expected to attend the ceremony.

The Presidential Export Awards programme was launched by the EDB in 1981. Including this year’s event, 28 ceremonies will have been organised, recognising the contribution of Sri Lankan exporters to the country’s economy and international trade.

This year’s ceremony will recognise export performance during the 2025/2026 financial year. A total of 117 awards will be presented, comprising 15 overall awards and 102 product and service sectoral awards. Merit awards will also be presented to qualifying sectors, as determined by the panel of judges, taking into account applicants’ performance and the contribution of their respective sectors to the national economy.

The selection process considers several factors beyond export revenue. These include export market diversification, employment generation, growth in export earnings, the repatriation of export earnings to Sri Lanka, environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility and value addition.

The EDB has received a large number of applications this year, reflecting the interest of the exporting community in the awards. Applications were initially evaluated by a Technical Committee, while the final selection of winners was made by a distinguished panel of judges headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Ernst & Young (EY) serves as the Knowledge Partner for the 28th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony.

The awards come as the Government pursues new strategies to expand Sri Lanka’s exports under its policy framework. It expects these initiatives to contribute to significant export growth, with particular emphasis on diversifying markets and products, encouraging innovation, increasing value addition, introducing local brands to international markets, ensuring export sustainability and developing regional value chains.

These priorities are intended to strengthen the ability of Sri Lankan businesses to compete internationally while increasing the contribution of exports to national economic development.

The Presidential Export Awards also offer recipients a marketing advantage. Winners will receive a trophy or plaque and a certificate, and they will be entitled to use the Presidential Export Awards logo as a marketing tool for a period of three years.

The 28th ceremony is being organised under the supervision of Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the EDB, under the guidance of Sunil Handunneththi, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, and on the advice of Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, and Thilaka Jayasundara, Secretary to the Ministry.

The EDB’s partner organisations are also supporting the event. Bank of Ceylon is the Platinum Partner, Commercial Bank is the Gold Partner, while the Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) are the Silver Partners.

The media briefing on the awards was held at the EDB and attended by Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Erandika Dissanayake, Director General; Kumuduni Mudalige, Additional Director General (Development); and Roshan Jayasinghe, Director General (Finance and Administration).

Representatives of the partner organisations attending the briefing included Rohana Kumara, Senior Deputy General Manager of Bank of Ceylon; Dilan Rajapaksa, Assistant General Manager of Commercial Bank; R. K. Obeysekera, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board; and Prof. A. Anura Shantharachchi, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation, along with other officials.

As Sri Lanka looks to expand its exports, the Presidential Export Awards provide an opportunity to recognise businesses that have contributed to the country’s international trade performance. The ceremony will honour achievements across a range of sectors while encouraging exporters to explore new markets, develop competitive products and strengthen the presence of Sri Lankan brands around the world.