- Offshore-registered firms among Port City’s 68 new strategic businesses
Port City Colombo is broadening its international business footprint, attracting a diverse mix of companies incorporated in offshore financial centres, including the British Virgin Islands (BVI), as well as businesses from the United States, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.
The latest group of 68 companies gazetted as secondary Businesses of Strategic Importance (BSIs) has disclosed five-year investment commitments totalling approximately $ 166.87 million, reflecting growing interest in the Port City as a base for international business operations, particularly in Information Technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and professional services.
According to a technical analysis of the Port City gazettes dated 11 October 2026, the 68 companies were gazetted under Gazette Nos. 2483/18–85 on 10 April this year.
The investment breakdown includes Bridge Stone Global Ltd., incorporated in the BVI, with a declared investment of $ 5 million, while Masterock Ltd. and Modern Mark Development Ltd., also incorporated in the BVI, have declared investments of $ 1.18 million and $ 100,000, respectively.
The list also identifies a number of companies for which no parent company has been stated, including entities incorporated in Sri Lanka and overseas jurisdictions. These include Casa BPO Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia, with a declared investment of $ 14.87 million; Ren XYZ Inc. of the United States, with $ 45 million; and Kodez Ltd. of Australia, with $ 1 million.
Other entities without a parent company identified include Aurion Engineering LLC, incorporated in the US, with $ 600,000, and Pravy Consulting Inc. of Canada, with $ 100,000.
The disclosure raises questions about the ownership structures and ultimate beneficial ownership of businesses entering the Port City ecosystem, particularly where the published investment breakdown does not identify a parent company. However, the absence of a stated parent company in the document does not, by itself, establish that a company has no ultimate beneficial owner or that its ownership is undisclosed to the regulator.
IT and IT-enabled services account for approximately 55% of the secondary BSI disclosures, followed by BPO at around 20%. Advisory services, wholesale trade, logistics, and financial services account for the remaining 25%.
The latest cohort forms part of a wider group of 180 secondary BSIs, representing 73.5% of the 245 entities recorded under the Port City licensing framework.
Unlike primary BSIs, secondary businesses are not required to undertake land development within the Port City but can operate from leased office or business premises while enjoying tax and regulatory incentives available under the special economic zone framework.
The investment list also includes businesses linked to international corporate groups, including Deloitte, Ansell, GAC Group, Qoria, KAL Group, Fortude, Eyepax, Intervest Holdings, and Orel IT Group.
Among the largest disclosed investments are Ren XYZ Inc. at $ 45 million, Intelligent Optical Solutions PC Ltd. at $ 16.57 million, GAC Services Ltd. at $ 14.94 million, and Robotic Assistance Devices Lanka Ltd. at $ 12.53 million.
Intervest Global Delivery Ltd., linked to UK-based Intervest Holdings, has declared $ 11.43 million, while Atlas Global BPO Ltd., linked to Singapore’s Suga Group, has declared $ 7 million.
The technical analysis identifies 108 secondary BSIs gazetted before April 2026 and 68 in the April 2026 cohort. The $ 166.87 million investment total relates specifically to the latter group.
Under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC) Act No.11 of 2021, investments into the Port City, including land leases and corporate equity, must originate from designated foreign currencies sourced from overseas or through authorised offshore foreign currency accounts.
The CPCEC functions as a single-window investment facilitator and conducts background checks on the origin and legitimacy of capital before granting licences or designating businesses as being of strategic importance.