Sri Lankan entrepreneurs expand business presence into U.S. and India

Sri Lankan entrepreneurs Janik Jayasuriya and Johann Harsha Fernando have partnered to expand Celeste into the United States. Celeste, an on-demand online supermarket founded in 2020, has grown to serve over 200,000 customers in Sri Lanka. The expansion leverages Fernando’s experience with HVA Ceylon, a company recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for three consecutive years.

In a separate strategic move, a Sri Lankan tea enterprise is targeting the Indian market. The company aims to introduce premiumization to India's tea culture by encouraging urban and younger consumers to move from unbranded loose tea to high-quality, branded products. The strategy utilizes Sri Lankan expertise in branding and processing to market premium tea segments within India.