Akbar Brothers Honoured with Presidential Environmental Award for Leading Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Tea Revolution

Chief Operating Officer of Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Gamini Wimalasooriya, receiving the Presidential Environmental Award from Minister of Environment Hon. Dr. Dammika Patabendi, in the presence of Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Hon. Sunil Handunnetti

Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka’s largest tea exporter for more than three decades, has been recognised with the Silver Award at the Presidential Environmental Awards 2025, underscoring its leadership in responsible manufacturing and its deep commitment to sustainable business practices.

Exporting over 40 million kilograms of tea in the past year, Akbar Brothers continues to play a defining role in strengthening Sri Lanka’s position as the home of the world’s finest teas.

Accepting the award, the company’s Chairman stated: “Our goal is to be sustainable in our tea exports and to ensure that every stage of our operations reflects accountability to both people and planet. The future of our industry depends on producing responsibly, making sustainability our competitive advantage.

At the heart of this philosophy is a strong people-centred approach that values both the employees who drive the company’s success and the consumers who trust its products. Akbar Brothers invests heavily in training, workplace safety, and skills development to maintain a culture of excellence and inclusion. Across its operations, the company prioritises ethical sourcing, fair employment practices and continuous staff engagement, recognising that its people remain its greatest strength.

This culture of care extends to its customers worldwide. Every blend is crafted with attention to consistency, safety and quality, earning Akbar Tea the trust of millions of households across more than 90 countries.

Akbar Brothers’ Sustainability Roadmap integrates renewable energy, carbon efficiency, responsible sourcing, and environmentally friendly packaging. Its facilities are powered by solar energy and employ water-conservation and wastewater-recycling systems compliant with ISO 14001 and Central Environmental Authority standards.

The company also boasts Asia’s first Carbon Inset teabag facility, focusing on verifiable emission reductions within its own supply chain rather than external offsets. Through innovative partnerships, Akbar Brothers further reduces its carbon footprint by incorporating biofuel-powered transport in its export operations..

Team members at Akbar Brothers’ state-of-the-art packaging facility carefully inspecting and sealing packs of Akbar Premium Quality Tea.

Its manufacturing and packaging facilities maintain one of the industry’s most comprehensive certification portfolios, including ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 14001, GMP, IFS and HACCP, reflecting stringent standards from raw-leaf selection through to shipment.

Aligned with Sri Lanka’s 3R policy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), the company has transitioned to recyclable polyethylene packaging to minimise waste. Its Eco-Label Certification reinforces long-term efforts to reduce material impact and strengthen traceable, sustainable production systems.

Akbar Brothers has elevated tea manufacturing into a discipline of precision, innovation and responsibility. Its blending, flavouring and packaging operations among the most advanced in South Asia, combine automation and modern process control with time-honoured expertise. This balance of technology and tradition ensures reliability, efficiency and lasting consumer trust.

The company’s long-term strategy aligns closely with Sri Lanka’s Vision 2030, which targets an increase in national tea production to 400 million kilograms and USD 2.5 billion in annual export revenue. Yet beyond these targets, Akbar Brothers represents a broader transformation, an industry rooted in heritage evolving into one defined by innovation, ethical practice, and care for both people and planet.