Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council

What Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council does

The Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council (SLRBC) is a bilateral trade promotion body inaugurated on 9 August 2001 at the initiative of the then Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mikhail A. Konarovskiy, and the then Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Chandra Jayaratne. It operates under the institutional umbrella of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in Colombo, functioning as a non-profit facilitator of trade, investment, and tourism between Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation, with a stated emphasis on promoting Sri Lankan exports to Russia. Membership is open to individuals, partnerships, companies, and organizations engaged in or seeking to enter bilateral trade, tourism, services, or joint ventures with Russian counterparts.

The council's offering is event-led rather than technology-led: it convenes an Annual General Meeting (now in its 21st year), networking sessions, round table discussions, and inbound Russian trade delegations, and serves as a coordination layer with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the Board of Investments (BOI), the Russian Cultural Center, and the Embassy of the Russian Federation. Revenue is generated exclusively through a nominal membership model - a Rs.1,000 entrance fee plus a Rs.5,000 annual subscription - which funds the council's activities rather than serving as a growth lever.

The membership base of approximately 80 companies is highly diversified across roughly two dozen industry categories, including Ceylon Tea, Spices, Apparel, Rubber, Coconut Products, Travel and Leisure, Logistics, FMCG, ICT/BPO, Finance and Insurance, Banking, Defence and Military, Energy and Gas, and Manufacturing. Visible member logos span Stassen Exports, Walker Tours, Unitrades, Rhino Roofing Products, Maxims Overseas Holdings (MOS Lanka), Regency Teas, Crossbrand Investment, Skymark Travels, Sinbad, Regional Development Bank, Maltras International, Marine Transport Services, and Latex Green, reflecting a cross-section of Sri Lankan exporters, tourism operators, freight forwarders, and conglomerates. The underlying "platform" is institutional and diplomatic rather than technological: SL-Russia bilateral trade data, Russia National Day newspaper supplements (Daily News, Daily Mirror), and the council's slrbc.lk website form the primary external surfaces, with no proprietary software, mobile app, API, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Name

Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council

Legal name

Sri Lanka Russia Business Council

Website

https://slrbc.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council (SLRBC) is a non-profit bilateral trade council operating under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in Colombo. It facilitates Sri Lanka-Russia trade, investment, and tourism through events, delegations, and networking, serving approximately 80 member companies across roughly two dozen industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bilateral Trade Facilitation

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAAAC

International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

Keywords

• Bilateral trade facilitation
• Business networking events
• Trade promotion services
• Bilateral investment council
• Export development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The council generates revenue through membership fees. Individual persons, partnerships, companies, corporations or other organizations engaged in trade, tourism or services with Russia are eligible for membership upon payment of entrance and annual subscription fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council facilitates bilateral trade, investment, and tourism between Sri Lanka and Russia on a membership basis. It convenes Sri Lankan and Russian businesses through networking events, annual general meetings, business delegations, and round-table discussions, and provides country-specific commercial information to its members. The Council is a specialized body operating under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Product overview

The Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council (SLRBC) operates as a bilateral business council under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, offering facilitation services for trade, investment, and tourism between Sri Lanka and Russia. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization provides a suite of business services including bilateral trade facilitation, business networking events, annual general meetings, country information services, and membership services. The Council has approximately 80 member companies across diverse industries including tea, spices, apparel, rubber, tourism, logistics, and ICT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bilateral Trade Facilitation Services Membership-based facilitation of bilateral trade, investment, and tourism between Sri Lanka and Russia, aimed at Sri Lankan and Russian companies engaged in cross-border commerce.
• Annual General Meetings Recurring governance and networking events for members of the Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council, including elections and policy discussions.
• Business Networking Events and Delegations Member events, networking gatherings, and trade delegations designed to connect Sri Lankan and Russian businesses, often held during high-level state visits.
• Country Information and Advisory Services Provision of country-specific commercial information and advice on Sri Lanka-Russia trade and investment to Council members.
• Corporate Membership Membership tier for Sri Lankan and Russian companies that grants access to Council events, delegations, and information services, structured around a one-time entrance fee and an annual subscription.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sri LankacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2001The council was established on the initiative of the Russian Ambassador Mr. Mikhail A. Konarovskiy. The Embassy maintains ongoing collaboration with the council for organizing delegations, business forums, and bilateral trade events.
• Ceylon Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe council operates as a specialized body of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber provides institutional support, infrastructure, and administrative services. The council was inaugurated at the initiative of the Chamber's Chairman and operates under its umbrella.
• Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chairman and Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Export Development Board delivers keynote addresses at SLRBC AGMs, providing insights into export development and trade opportunities for bilateral commerce.
• Board of Investments of Sri LankaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector General of the Board of Investments participates in SLRBC-organized round table discussions with Russian trade delegations, discussing investment opportunities and joint ventures.
• Russian Cultural Center ColombominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe council has organized events at the Russian Cultural Center in Colombo, including the 16th Annual General Meeting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie): Bilateral Franco-Russian business promotion entity organized under the official CCI France network. Directly comparable to SLRBC in mission (facilitating bilateral trade and investment with Russia), membership-driven revenue, and event-led engagement, but with significantly larger operating scale and geographic scope.
• Sri Lanka-India Business Council (Ceylon Chamber): Sister bilateral council operating under the same Ceylon Chamber of Commerce umbrella as SLRBC, with identical governance structure and service offering (memberships, AGMs, delegation visits, networking events) but focused on India corridor. Highly comparable in operating mechanics and target member profile.
• Sri Lanka-China Business Council: Another bilateral business council housed within the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, focused on Sri Lanka-China trade and investment. Operates with the same membership-fee-funded, event-driven model as SLRBC and competes for the same Sri Lankan exporter constituency across different corridors.
• UK-Russia Business Council: Independent bilateral business council promoting UK-Russia commercial engagement through membership services, networking events, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable in mandate (bilateral business facilitation), revenue model (membership fees), and event-based delivery model.
• German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (Deutsch-Russische AHK): Official bilateral chamber promoting German-Russian economic relations through events, delegations, and matchmaking services, jointly supported by German industry associations and Russian partners. Mirrors SLRBC's chamber-anchored model and event-driven GTM, but operates at substantially greater scale.
• American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia): Bilateral business promotion organization facilitating US-Russia commercial ties through high-level events, advocacy, and member services. Comparable structure to SLRBC as a foreign-affiliated bilateral business council providing trade facilitation, though much larger in operating scale and budget.
• India-Russia Business Council (under FICCI): A bilateral business promotion body operating under India's apex industry chamber, facilitating India-Russia trade, investment, and economic cooperation. Highly comparable structure: chamber-affiliated, event-driven, membership-funded, with active diplomatic engagement and similar value proposition to SLRBC but larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB): Sri Lanka's state-led export promotion agency whose Chairman/CEO regularly delivers keynotes at SLRBC AGMs. Operates a broader, government-sponsored export facilitation mandate across all markets rather than the Russia-specific focus of SLRBC, making it a partial overlap and a complementary government channel.
• Ceylon Chamber of Commerce: Parent organization of SLRBC and Sri Lanka's oldest and most influential business chamber. Operates multiple bilateral business councils including the Sri Lanka-India Business Council and Sri Lanka-China Business Council, offering broader multi-corridor trade facilitation compared to SLRBC's single-corridor focus.

Emerging players

• Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA): Government body responsible for promoting Sri Lanka as a tourism destination globally including the Russian source market. Their Russia-focused promotional activities partially overlap with SLRBC's tourism facilitation mandate, though SLTDA operates at national scale and SLRBC as a private bilateral conduit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council