What Industrial Development Board does

Industrial Development Board (IDB) is a Sri Lankan statutory board established in 1969 under the Industrial Development Act No. 36 of 1969, operating under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development. Headquartered in Moratuwa, IDB functions as the national coordinating body for industrial development and serves micro, small, medium, and large-scale industries alongside schools and women entrepreneurs, with services delivered through 25 district offices island-wide plus approximately ten specialized centers (footwear and leather, rubber products, food laboratory, bamboo, appropriate technology research, electroplating, brass technology, footwear training, common service).

The service portfolio spans the full industrial development lifecycle: engineering services, food safety and quality testing, digital marketing support, library and information services, incubator facilities, sales center (Ceylon Plaza), industrial estate management with long-term land leases, metal scrap distribution, electricity subsidies, and centralized equipment purchasing. IDB also operates a portfolio of digital portals — Training and Workshop, Bizconnect, Job Portal, Land Bank, Business Clinic, Investor Pool, and Community Forum — alongside publications including Industry Ceylon Magazine, product profiles, and an Automotive 360 Review. Training is organized across 20 industry sectors from food to chemicals.

IDB is government-funded via budgetary allocations under Industrial Development Act No. 36 of 1969, with auxiliary revenue from laboratory testing fees, library memberships (Rs.50-350), training program fees (collected via Bank of Ceylon), and 30-year industrial estate land leases priced by the Government Valuation Department. Strategic direction is set by a government-appointed Board of Directors, currently led by Chairman Mr. Yasas Hewage (effective June 2026) and Director General Ms. Ruchira Dambarage (effective July 2026). IDB maintains partnerships with UNIDO, the European Union, People's Bank, DHL, Orel IT, Abans, Bata Institute, and the Egyptian Embassy, and has received regional and international recognition including the 2024 ASOCIO Digital Government Award and multiple BestWeb.lk awards.

Name

Industrial Development Board

Legal name

Industrial Development Board

Website

https://idb.gov.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Industrial Development Board is a Sri Lankan statutory board established in 1969 under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development that supports industrial and SME growth through 25 district offices, specialized technical centers, training programs, and a portfolio of digital portals serving entrepreneurs, women, schools, and large-scale industries nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Development Services

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Business Registration & Corporate Affairs (Registries) (BPAIAOAA), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Industrial development services
• SME support programs
• Business incubation services
• Industrial training programs
• Industrial estates management

Headquarters

HQ city

Moratuwa

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: IDB is a premier state organization under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, empowered by Industrial Development Act No.36 of 1969, primarily funded through government budgetary allocations
2. Service Fees: Fees for laboratory testing, training programs, and specialized services
3. Land Lease Rentals: Industrial estate land rentals calculated based on Government Valuation Department assessed values with 30-year lease terms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Industrial Development Board is a Sri Lankan government statutory board that provides industrial development services to micro, small, medium, and large-scale industries, including business guidance, training programmes across 20 industry sectors, engineering services, food laboratory testing, digital marketing support, library and industry information, business incubation facilities, industrial estate land allocation, and specialised product development centres for rubber, leather, bamboo, and electroplating. It also operates digital platforms (Bizconnect, Job Portal, Land Bank, Business Clinic, Investor Pool, Training & Workshop) that connect entrepreneurs with markets, investors, jobs, and government services across its 25 district offices nationwide.

Product overview

The Industrial Development Board (IDB) is a premier government organization under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development in Sri Lanka, established under Industrial Development Act No. 36 of 1969. IDB operates as a multi-service platform providing a comprehensive ecosystem of industrial development support. The organization offers core technical services including Engineering Services, Food Laboratory Services, Digital Marketing, Library & Industry Information, Incubator Facilities, and specialized centers for Bamboo, Leather Products, and Rubber Products Development. IDB has developed an integrated digital platform portfolio comprising Training & Workshop Portal, Bizconnect (business profiles), Job Portal, Land Bank, Business Clinic, Investor Pool, and Community Forum. Additional services include Sales Centre (Ceylon Plaza), Metal Scrap Project, Electricity Subsidy, and Kasper Purchasing. The organization manages Industrial Estates with full infrastructure support and publishes Industry Ceylon Magazine and various industry-specific publications. The portfolio also includes a Product Profile catalog for food manufacturing guidance and an Automotive 360 Review. Services are decentralized across 25 district offices island-wide, providing nationwide accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bizconnect: Business profile platform for industries to showcase their enterprises
• IDB Land Bank
• IDB Job Portal
• Business Clinic
• Investor Pool
• Industry Ceylon Magazine

Products and services

• Engineering Services Technical engineering support and services for industrial development, providing expertise to help industries with engineering solutions.
• Food Laboratory Services Food testing and laboratory analysis services for quality assurance and compliance with food safety standards, available for industrial clients.
• Digital Marketing Services Digital marketing support and services to help industries promote their products and reach broader markets.
• Library and Industry Information Services Industry-specific library providing information resources, market reports, technology information packages, and publications for entrepreneurs and researchers, with membership-based access.
• Incubator Facilities Business incubation facilities and support for start-up businesses and emerging entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.
• Sales Centre (CeylonPlaza) Physical retail outlet and sales center for showcasing and selling locally manufactured industrial products.
• Metal Scrap Project Project facilitating provision of scrap materials (copper, brass, aluminium, iron) as raw materials for industries at concessionary rates.
• Electricity Subsidy Service Subsidy program to support manufacturing industries with electricity cost relief.
• Kasper Purchasing Centralized purchasing service for industrial equipment and supplies.
• Bamboo Center Bamboo product training and services center established in collaboration with UNIDO, providing skills training for wood-based industry professionals and potential entrepreneurs to produce handicrafts and furniture for local and international markets.
• Training and Workshop Portal Online portal for accessing industrial training programs across 25 district offices, organized under 20 industry sectors including Food, Oil and fibre, Building Materials, and Chemicals.
• Bizconnect Business profile platform providing space for micro, small, medium, and large-scale industries to join and showcase their enterprises, access business community, and manage their own web pages.
• IDB Job Portal Centralized platform connecting job seekers and agencies, allowing job seekers to search and apply for job openings directly.
• IDB Land Bank Platform providing access to industrial estate land for businesses to set up operations, with information on prime locations and affordable pricing.
• Business Clinic Online platform providing business advisory and consulting services to entrepreneurs.
• Investor Pool Platform facilitating connections between entrepreneurs seeking funding and investors, enabling comprehensive business proposals to be reviewed by potential investors.
• Leather Products and Footwear Development Services Specialised division promoting and developing leather products and footwear industry in Sri Lanka, including training and certification services.
• Rubber Products Development Services Division providing consultancy, quality testing, certification, product and process development, and semi-commercial activities for rubber-related manufacturing industries.
• Industrial Estates Management and development of industrial estates providing infrastructure including three-phase electricity, water, internal roads, drainage systems, and security services, with 30-year lease terms.
• Loan Schemes Industrial loan assistance programs including SMILE loan schemes for SMEs and women entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% Increased Productivity (Land Bank)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• People's BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2025MoU signed between People's Bank and IDB to foster youth entrepreneurship. Collaboration on People's BizTeen Challenge 2025, a nationwide competition for school students to select the Best Entrepreneurial Concept.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IDB in collaboration with UNIDO introduced a fully-fledged Bamboo product training and services center in 2019 to provide necessary skills and training for professionals in the wood-based industry and potential entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.
• Bata InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program with IDB and Ranaviru Seva Authority to provide footwear production training to war hero families, with Bata Institute providing subcontracting orders.
• DHLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIDB partnership with DHL to boost export awareness among MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
• UNIDO Accelerating Industries' Climate Response ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 2-Day User Training Workshop on Energy Management System (EnMS), implemented by UNIDO and funded by the European Union, aimed at helping industries adopt ISO 50001-aligned energy management systems.
• AbansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAbans joined hands for the National School Entrepreneurship Circle Program to support youth entrepreneurship development.
• Egyptian EmbassyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting between Egyptian Ambassador and IDB Chairman to explore collaborations for industrial development between Egypt and Sri Lanka.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SME Corporation Malaysia: Malaysian government agency coordinating SME development programs, advisory services, and capacity building nationwide — analogous to IDB's decentralization across 25 district offices and its entrepreneurship development role.
• Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI): Sri Lanka's statutory authority for investment promotion and industrial development. Directly comparable as a Sri Lankan government body driving industrial growth, FDI, and SME development alongside IDB, with overlapping mandates in industrial estate management and investor facilitation.
• Department of Industry, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan government department under the same Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development as IDB. Sister agency with overlapping policy and regulatory responsibilities in industrial development in Sri Lanka.
• Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA): Malaysia's principal government agency for industrial and investment promotion under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. Closely comparable mandate to IDB in promoting industrial development, facilitating investments, and supporting manufacturing growth nationally.
• Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG): Singaporean government agency championing enterprise development, supporting SMEs and industry growth through capability building, financing, and internationalization — the same integrated SME/industrial support role IDB plays in Sri Lanka.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI): Principal financial institution for promotion, financing and development of MSME sector in India. Comparable to IDB's loan scheme services (SMILE loan scheme, Women Entrepreneurs loan assistance) and SME development mandate.
• National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), India: Indian government enterprise under the Ministry of MSME providing integrated support services to small industries including training, incubation, marketing, and technology. Direct functional analogue to IDB's SME/entrepreneurship development services.

Regional players

• Thailand Board of Investment (BOI): Thai government agency promoting industrial investment and development with a mandate similar to IDB's industrial development mission, though operating in a different South-East Asian market context.
• Kenya Industrial Development Corporation (IDC): Kenyan state-owned development finance institution supporting industrial and SME development. Comparable mandate to IDB in promoting industrial growth, but operating in East Africa rather than South Asia.

Broad incumbents

• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization): UN specialized agency promoting industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization, and environmental sustainability. IDB's primary international partner (Bamboo Center 2019, EnMS programs) and a broader global counterpart in the same mission space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/idbsl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI2k7kEe2HplzaGYiOQzhkQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/idbceylon
• Instagraminstagram.com/industrial_development_board

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries10 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 Industrial Development Board