Hayleys Group, Sri Lanka’s largest and most diversified conglomerate, celebrated groundbreaking achievements of its teams at the Chairman’s Awards 2025, recognising national firsts that advance global priorities in energy transition, food security, resilience and social impact.

The event, now in its 13^th year, reinforced people-led innovation as a driver of resilience and long-term competitiveness across innovation, ESG, quality and lean management and service excellence.

Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage stated, “These awards are an opportunity to thank our teams for their exceptional commitment and dedication to enriching lives across every touchpoint, from products and solutions that serve Sri Lankan families to world-class exports competing in global markets. These initiatives have strengthened Hayleys’ international standing, deepened our national contribution to the economy and society and showcased the true capability of Sri Lankan enterprise.”

At the heart of the awards are pioneering projects that establish national firsts while addressing global challenges.

The Purification Sector saw Haycarb PLC secure the Overall Winner Award for the ‘Innovation of Specialty Activated Carbon for Silicon-Carbon Composites used as Next Generation Anode Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries’, through the introduction of the HCE 400 Series to improve energy density and battery life. The initiative also secured the Innovation Category Award, marking a strategic step into advanced materials aligned with the growth trajectory of global battery and energy storage markets.

Within the Agriculture Sector, Sunfrost (Pvt) Ltd was recognised for redefining Sri Lanka’s coconut industry through a sustainability-driven innovation initiative that strengthened cost efficiency, market access and supply-chain consistency. By expanding into global markets and integrating renewable energy, effluent treatment and spoilage reduction, the company positioned CocoLife by Hayleys as a globally competitive player. Through this initiative, Sunfrost earned the Quality and Lean Management Award for its disciplined execution and focus on process excellence.

From the Textiles Sector, Hayleys Fabric PLC was recognised for developing a Smart Energy Saving System for Stenter Machines – an automated, low-investment solution that cuts idle-time energy loss in one of the plant’s most power-intensive processes. The initiative delivers material reductions in thermal and electrical consumption, lowers reliance on imported fuels and avoids 159,600 kg CO₂e emissions per machine annually, aligning with Net Zero 2050 and SBTi pathways. The project secured the ESG Category Award.

From the Transportation and Logistics Sector, K&A Logistics – a joint venture between Hayleys Advantis Group and Karnaphuli Group – received the Service Excellence Award for ‘Establishing 3PL Market Leadership through Record Growth and Strategic Diversification in Bangladesh’. The project was recognised for its contribution to service reliability and for positioning Advantis as a capable regional logistics partner within the South Asian supply chain ecosystem.

The Hayleys Chairman’s Awards 2025 celebrated bold innovation, operational excellence and meaningful social impact across sectors, highlighting projects that redefine competitiveness, reinforce sustainability and position Sri Lanka as a leader in global manufacturing and services.

Image Caption: Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage presents Haycarb PLC with the Overall Winner Award at the Hayleys Chairman’s Awards 2025 for their pioneering work in silicon-carbon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.