Sri Lanka Retail Forum on 10 Sept. to spotlight growth, technology and future of retail

Speakers and panellists at the Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026

The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) is all set to bring together more than 500 retail leaders, business decision-makers, entrepreneurs, technology experts, policymakers and investors at the Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026, scheduled for Thursday, 10 September 2026, at the Lumina Ballroom, Cinnamon Life, City of Dreams, Colombo. 

It will be held under the theme “Retail Without Boundaries: Building the Next Growth Engine.”

The Forum will examine the forces shaping the next phase of Sri Lanka’s retail sector, with discussions covering retail growth, productivity, customer experience, brand transformation, digital commerce, artificial intelligence, data, automation and technology-led business transformation. 

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP Partner Soumya Dwibedi will deliver the keynote address on “Retail as a Growth Engine,” exploring regional and global shifts in go-to-market strategies, business transformation and the structural changes required for retail expansion in Sri Lanka. 

The speaker lineup features leading regional and local voices including Centre for Poverty Analysis Consultant Dr. Roshan Perera, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Postgraduate Institute of Management Director Dr. Asanga Ranasinghe, The 1 Central Group Senior Vice President Hansa Wongsiripitack, Finetech Consultancy Group Director, Group CEO and Co-Founder Clehan Pulle, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC Group Managing Director Mahesh Wijewardene, and Barista Coffee Lanka CEO Dilupa Pathirana. Their sessions will explore productivity and performance, customer experience and loyalty, AI-enabled customer service, retail transformation, brand modernization, growth strategies and the future of specialty coffee retail. 

A key highlight will be the Technology and Future Retail panel, moderated by PepperCube Consultants Chief Insights Officer and Executive Director Crystal Nathan. The panel will feature Havelock City Mall General Manager, Marketing and Leasing Avanthie De Zoysa, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd., Director and CEO Nalin Karunaratne, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka CEO Priantha Fernando, and Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer Dr. Romesh Ranawana. The discussion will explore how AI, big data and phygital customer journeys are transforming retail business models, supply chains and customer interactions. 

The Forum will also feature Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Krishan Balendra as the Chief Guest, who will share perspectives on the macroeconomic outlook and national policy vision for trade, commerce and retail growth in Sri Lanka. 

The Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026 is supported by a broad network of industry partners. Keells and BYD are the Platinum Sponsors, with Singer as Gold Sponsor and Abans and Healthguard as Silver Sponsors. Category Partners include NDB Wealth Management, Samsung, Unilever and John Keells Logistics, while Associate Sponsors include Havelock City Mall, Vision Care, Hameedia, DSI, Cool Planet, Barista SPAR and CBL. Finetech is the Tech Talk Sponsor, P&S the Strategic Sponsor, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce the Event Manager, Lakarcade the Official Gift and Souvenir Partner, Azbow the Digital Partner and Impressions Public Relations the PR Partner.

With over 500 senior industry stakeholders expected to attend, the Forum will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, business networking and dialogue on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of retail. Through its focus on growth, customer experience, technology, AI, productivity and collaboration, the Forum aims to contribute to a more innovative and future-ready retail sector in Sri Lanka. 

Tickets are priced at LKR 22,000 for SLRA members and LKR 24,000 for non-members. For registrations and further information, contact 011 558 8892 / 011 558 8852 or [email protected] / [email protected].