Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investment inflows, including foreign commercial loans for investments to Board of Investment (BOI)-approved enterprises, have reached $ 827 million, between January to September this year, up by 138% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, data from the BOI shows.
Accordingly, this Investment inflow came from four channels: equity capital, raking in $ 133 million, reinvested retained earnings bringing in $ 132 million, intra-company foreign borrowings for investments bringing in $ 231 million, and long term foreign commercial loans for investments bringing in $ 331 million.
Of the total inflows, $ 124 million was secured through project agreements signed with the BOI in 2025, while the balance was generated from reinvestments and expansions by existing enterprises.
In addition, a local investment value of $ 326 million was realised from 163 BOI projects, during the first nine months of this year. The largest contributor to Foreign Direct Investment inflows during the period was Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) Pvt. Ltd., with its $ 229 million in state-of-the-art port infrastructure.
CEAT OHT Lanka Pvt. Ltd., established as a new company in Sri Lanka, a subsidiary of India’s CEAT Ltd., contributed $ 111 million to produce off-the-highway (OHT) tyres for export markets.
Michelin Lanka Pvt. Ltd. channelled $ 72 million from its parent into its Sri Lankan operations, while Bluehaven Services Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited (Hong Kong), invested $ 85 million in developing and operating gaming facilities at the City of Dreams Sri Lanka integrated resort project.
Additionally, a major BOI property development project infused $ 47 million, supporting Colombo’s ongoing urban development drive.
Together, foreign capital inflows from these five projects accounted for 66% of the total inflows recorded this year. Beyond these, another 150 BOI-approved enterprises collectively contributed $ 283 million, demonstrating broad-based investor participation across multiple sectors.
BOI Chairperson Arjuna Herath stated: “The growth of foreign capital inflows to $ 827 million in the first nine months of 2025 demonstrates the renewed confidence investors have in Sri Lanka’s business environment. The strong participation of existing enterprises reflects the trust built through economic and political stability, transparency, and good governance. Both new and existing projects have contributed to this impressive performance, underscoring the impact of reforms and ease of doing business initiatives implemented by the Government and the BOI.”
He further added: “Projects such as Colombo West International Terminal, CEAT OHT Lanka, Michelin, and Melco not only bring capital but also create employment, transfer technology, and integrate Sri Lanka into global value chains. The BOI remains fully committed to facilitating strategic investments and ensuring Sri Lanka continues to attract high-value, long-term investors.”