Lion Brewery’s innovation and retail excellence recognized with dual honours at FMCG Asia Awards 2025

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC strengthened its regional standing with two
honours at the FMCG Asia Awards 2025, winning New Brand Launch of the Year (Sri Lanka) for
True Born and Seasonal Campaign of the Year (Sri Lanka) for Carlsberg’s Display Drive &
Merchandising initiative. These latest regional accolades recognise the company’s industry and
category leadership which underpins deep‑rooted national impact. Over the past decade alone,
Lion Brewery’s contributions to Sri Lanka’s tax base have surpassed the LKR 500 billion mark, a
scale that reflects both the breadth of its footprint and the consistency with which it supports
fiscal stability.
Organised by Retail Asia and held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in
Singapore, the FMCG Asia Awards recognise companies that demonstrate excellence across
the value chain, from proposition development and market execution to financial impact,
operational rigour and measurable industry contribution. Winners are selected through a
comprehensive evaluation of market performance, executional strength and strategic clarity
across Asia’s competitive FMCG markets.
Lion Brewery’s dual wins place a Sri Lankan company among leading organisations across the
region, highlighting its ability to deliver at international standards. It further validates a strategy
that balances 140 years of brewing heritage with a forward‑looking approach to growth. The
company continues to evolve its portfolio with discipline and clarity, exemplified by the True
Born launch, which was an insight‑led, precisely executed introduction aligned with the quality
benchmarks that define Lion’s long‑term performance. Meanwhile, the Display Drive &
Merchandising initiative for Carlsberg emphasizes the strength of its field operations,
consistency in retail execution, and the robust partnerships built across the trade network.
“These recognitions arrive at a time when Sri Lankan consumers are seeking brands that feel
contemporary, confident and proudly local,” said Rajiv Meewakkala, Chief Executive Officer of
Lion Brewery. “Our response has been to design experiences that are authentic to the brand
character, considerate of occasion and context, and delivered with operational discipline. By
emphasising operational and execution excellence, purposeful design and flawless lastmile
delivery, Lion continues to build trust while inviting discovery, a balance of leadership and
adventure that has long defined the brand.”
The wins also highlight the company’s capability to translate consumer insight into measurable
results. From insightled proposition development to storelevel execution, these initiatives
demonstrate rigour across the value chain, from clear objectives, precise targeting, and strong
collaboration with trade partners to a continuous improvement mindset informed by onground
learning. The outcome is a set of initiatives that do more than perform, they set benchmarks for
how Sri Lankan FMCG brands can create value through relevance, reliability and craft.