Sri Lanka’s capital-market institutions are preparing to renew investment connections with Australia, as the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC), the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and members of the stockbroking industry conduct a series of Invest Sri Lanka Investor Forums in Sydney and Melbourne from 17 to 20 August 2026.
The forums represent an important return to the Australian market after nearly nine years, following the previous Invest Sri Lanka road show held in 2017. For Sri Lankan Australians, institutional investors, fund managers, business leaders and professionals seeking informed opportunities in the island nation, the programme provides a timely platform through which developments in Sri Lanka’s capital market, economic outlook and investment environment can be examined directly.
The initiative is being presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen long-term financial and commercial links between Sri Lanka and Australia. It follows investor forums held in Dubai and Riyadh earlier in 2026 and reflects the growing importance of international engagement in supporting the next stage of Sri Lanka’s economic development.
A renewed focus on the Australian market
Australia has become an increasingly significant source of foreign investor participation in Sri Lanka. According to information released in connection with the forums, Australia was among the top ten sources of foreign investor inflows into the Sri Lankan capital market at the end of 2025, while also ranking among the leading sources of remittance inflows from Sri Lankan expatriates living in Australia.
The earlier 2017 road show demonstrated the potential of direct engagement. Within six months of those forums, buy turnover generated by Australian investors increased by more than 700 per cent, rising from approximately LKR 72.9 million to LKR 603.8 million. By the end of 2025, buy turnover from Australian investors had risen to approximately LKR 1.85 billion, indicating a substantial expansion in market participation over the intervening period.
The return to Australia, therefore, is not merely ceremonial. It has been structured as a practical opportunity to share updated information, encourage dialogue and introduce investors to the institutions, listed companies and professional intermediaries supporting Sri Lanka’s capital market.
Capital-market growth creates renewed interest
The 2026 forums will place particular emphasis on the growth and stability achieved by Sri Lanka’s capital market through 2025, while also examining the market’s performance during the first half of 2026.
Figures released by the organisers indicate that the All Share Price Index (ASPI) increased from 4,846 points in May 2020 to 22,310.80 points by the end of May 2026. This represents growth of approximately 360 per cent over six years, with a stated compound annual growth rate of about 28.98 per cent.
The organisers have also highlighted Sri Lanka’s equity-market valuation, including a price-to-earnings ratio of approximately 11.20 times, described as one of the lowest among Asian markets. Such measures are being used to explain why Sri Lanka may be of interest to investors seeking exposure to a frontier market with further development potential.
However, the forums are expected to place equal emphasis on the importance of sound regulation, transparency and investor protection. Senior Professor D.B.P.H. Dissabandara, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, has stated that the country is strengthening its capital market through robust regulation, greater transparency and stronger investor safeguards, thereby creating a more trusted and resilient environment for investors.
This focus is particularly relevant for overseas investors, who require clear information about market structures, regulatory standards, listed companies, access procedures and the responsibilities of licensed intermediaries before making informed decisions.
Sydney programme opens the Australian series
The Sydney Investor Forum will be held on Monday, 17 August 2026, at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, in the Hyde Park Room. The programme is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am and will be followed by lunch, presentations, a panel discussion and networking opportunities.
The Sydney event is being co-hosted with the Sri Lanka and Australia Chamber of Commerce, the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra and CHEC Port City Colombo, with Hatton National Bank PLC participating as the platinum partner.
The programme is expected to bring together senior representatives from Sri Lanka’s financial, regulatory and business sectors, as well as Australian investors and members of the Sri Lankan community. Sessions will cover Sri Lanka’s economic and capital-market outlook, frontier and emerging-market opportunities, recent reforms and the role of long-term investment in supporting sustainable growth.
Registration information for the Sydney forum is available through the official Invest Sri Lanka website and the eLanka event listing.
Melbourne forums address community and professional audiences
Three forums will be held in Melbourne between 18 and 20 August, allowing the organisers to engage with both the wider Sri Lankan community and professional investment audiences.
The first Melbourne event will take place on Tuesday, 18 August, at Hyatt Place Melbourne, Essendon Fields, from 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm. A further evening forum and dinner will be held on Wednesday, 19 August, at Novotel Glen Waverley, also from 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm.
A full-day fund manager forum will conclude the Australian series on Thursday, 20 August, at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, in the Fitzroy Ballroom, from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm.
The Melbourne programme is designed to provide different entry points for participants, including Sri Lankan Australians who wish to understand the investment landscape, business professionals considering institutional opportunities and fund managers seeking detailed market information.
Registration links for the Melbourne sessions have been published on the official event website:
- Melbourne Forum – 18 August 2026
- Melbourne Forum – 19 August 2026
- Melbourne Fund Manager Forum – 20 August 2026
Senior representatives to share market insights
A broad group of public-sector, regulatory and private-sector representatives is expected to participate in the forums.
The listed speakers and panellists include Dr P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Senior Professor D.B.P.H. Dissabandara, Chairman of the SEC; Ray Abeywardena, Director of the CSE; Rajeeva Bandaranaike, Chief Executive Officer of the CSE; Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development; and H.E. Yasoja Gunesekara, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia.
Other participants include Dr Sulakshana Jayawardena, Director General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka; Pradeepa Saram, Consul General of Sri Lanka to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania; Damith Pallewatte, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hatton National Bank PLC; Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director of CHEC Port City Colombo; Dr Naveen Gunawardane, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lynear Wealth Management; and Charles Blake, Executive Director of ACP Corum Pty Ltd.
Their contributions are expected to cover macroeconomic conditions, market performance, financial-sector developments, investment infrastructure, business opportunities and the continuing evolution of Sri Lanka’s economic framework.
Building a stronger connection between Australia and Sri Lanka
The significance of the forums extends beyond share-market activity. Properly developed investment connections can support business expansion, employment, innovation, infrastructure and the international growth of Sri Lankan companies, while enabling Australian investors to gain a more direct understanding of opportunities within the island’s economy.
For Sri Lankan Australians, the events also offer a structured setting in which heritage, professional knowledge and international experience can intersect. Many members of the community maintain close personal and commercial relationships with Sri Lanka, and investor education can assist those who wish to assess opportunities responsibly, using verified information and guidance from licensed professionals.
The participation of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Port City Colombo, the CSE, the SEC and leading financial institutions is intended to present a broader picture of the country’s investment environment rather than focusing on a single sector or financial instrument.
The 2026 Invest Sri Lanka Investor Forums consequently arrive at a constructive moment. With the organisers pointing to strong capital-market growth, increased Australian participation and continuing reforms in regulation and investor protection, the events provide an opportunity to examine how Sri Lanka can attract sustainable, transparent and productive investment from Australia.
The success of the programme will ultimately depend on the quality of information shared, the confidence created among participants and the strength of the relationships formed after the events conclude. Nevertheless, the return of Sri Lanka’s capital-market leaders to Melbourne and Sydney signals a welcome commitment to international engagement and to the untapped potential of stronger Sri Lanka–Australia economic connections.
Source: https://youtu.be/VsBUOK964c0
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