SAIL

What SAIL does

SAIL (Soap and Allied Industries (Pvt) Ltd) is a Sri Lanka-based industrial chemical and raw material importer and distributor serving B2B manufacturers. Incorporated in 1998 as an affiliated company of Colombo Machinery and Equipment Limited (CMEL), the firm operates from Colombo 03 with 19 employees and distributes 19 catalog products sourced from suppliers across Europe (UK, France), South Asia (India, Pakistan), Southeast Asia (Malaysia), East Asia (China), and the Middle East (UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). Its customer base spans food and beverage, confectionery, soap and detergent, cosmetics, textile, rubber and plastic, pharmaceutical, paper, paint, leather, home and personal care, and water treatment manufacturers. SAIL is the only company in Sri Lanka to process Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide) into liquid form, a value-added capability it markets as eliminating a downstream production step for customers.

The operating model is import-process-package-distribute: SAIL purchases chemicals internationally, screens suppliers, stores inventory in dedicated warehousing, and ships to manufacturers under quote-based B2B contracts. The portfolio is split across industrial chemicals (Caustic Soda, Soda Ash, Aluminium Sulphate, PAC, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulphate, Hydrated Lime, Calcium Carbonate, Talcum Powder, White Cement), food ingredients (Cocoa Powder, Flavours, Citric Acid), and personal care inputs (Fragrances, Glycerine, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Soap Noodles, Industrial Dyes and Pigments). The firm's primary technical capability is caustic soda liquefaction; it claims sole Sri Lankan representation for several international brands and positions itself on quality screening, on-time delivery, and stock availability. There is no proprietary software platform, no API, and no app product.

Revenue is generated through one-time B2B product sales at quote-based pricing that varies by quantity, specifications, and supplier origin. Customers request quotes via the website contact form or direct phone lines. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with no resellers, marketplace presence, or public price list. Marketing relies on a corporate website, direct phone contact, and customer testimonial placement rather than active demand-generation. SAIL operates as a horizontal distributor across multiple manufacturing verticals, with no evidence of contractual recurring revenue, subscriptions, or platform economics.

Name

SAIL

Legal name

Soap and Allied Industries (Pvt) Ltd

Website

https://sail.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SAIL (Soap and Allied Industries (Pvt) Ltd) is a Sri Lankan B2B industrial chemical and raw material importer and distributor serving manufacturers across food and beverage, soap and detergent, cosmetics, textile, rubber and plastic, and water treatment industries from its Colombo headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemical Distribution

NAICS

Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Surfactants & Detergent Base Chemicals (IMAEAAAI)

Keywords

• Industrial chemical distribution
• Raw material importing
• Caustic soda processing
• Water treatment chemicals
• Food grade ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo 03

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Chemical and Raw Material Trading: Import and distribution of industrial chemicals, raw materials, and specialty products to Sri Lankan manufacturers. Revenue is generated through product sales with pricing based on quantity, quality, and supplier origin. The company maintains extensive inventory and warehouse capacity to fulfill ongoing customer demand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SAIL imports industrial chemicals and raw materials from international suppliers in Europe, India, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, processes select products (notably Caustic Soda into liquid form), packages them, and distributes them directly to Sri Lankan manufacturers across food and beverage, soap and detergent, cosmetics, textile, rubber and plastic, water treatment, pharmaceutical, paint, paper, and leather industries. The company operates a quote-based B2B sales model supported by extensive warehousing for stock availability and on-time delivery.

Product overview

SAIL (Soap and Allied Industries) is a chemical and raw material importer and distributor serving the Sri Lankan B2B manufacturing market. The company operates as a single unified distribution service rather than a platform architecture. Their product portfolio consists of industrial chemicals and raw materials imported from international suppliers in Europe, India, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Core offerings include Caustic Soda (notably the only company in Sri Lanka processing it into liquid form), industrial chemicals for water treatment (Aluminium Sulphate, PAC), food ingredients (Cocoa Powder, Flavours, Citric Acid), personal care ingredients (Fragrances, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid), and industrial materials for manufacturing (Soap Noodles, Industrial Dyes and Pigments, Soda Ash). The company serves multiple industries including Food and Beverage, Soap and Detergent, Beauty and Cosmetics, Textile, Rubber and Plastic, Pharmaceutical, Paper, Paint, and Water Treatment. Their service model encompasses importing, processing (including caustic soda liquefaction), packaging, and supplying chemicals to manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide)

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years successful growth trajectory
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Colombo Machinery and Equipment Limited (CMEL)coreOthersParent and affiliated company. SAIL (Soap and Allied Industries (Pvt) Ltd) is an affiliated company of Colombo Machinery and Equipment Limited (CMEL). CMEL is the parent organization that established SAIL in 1998 to cater to the expanding chemical and raw material market in Sri Lanka.
• International Suppliers (Europe, India, China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnerships with international suppliers from Europe, India and China. These suppliers provide quality products with competitive pricing and adequate production capacities. SAIL serves as the sole Sri Lankan representative for some prestigious international brands. Products include caustic soda, flavours, fragrances, industrial dyes, and various raw materials sourced from established worldwide suppliers.
• International Raw Material SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaborations with suppliers from Europe and South-East Asia including Malaysia, France, UK, UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. Suppliers include manufacturers of industrial quality chemicals, food-grade ingredients, and specialty compounds for Sri Lankan industries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sail-lk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAIL