Renowned Sri Lankan inventor Rohan De Lanerolle Snr has won five prestigious awards at the Asia Awards 2026 held in India.
Rohan De Lanerolle Snr won Asia’s Innovative Maker Award in the Tea Industry, Asia’s Role Model of the Year Award, Asia’s Visionary Leader Award, Asia’s Outstanding Entrepreneur Award and Asia’s Lifetime Achiever Award at the Asia Awards 2026.
This is a major milestone for Sri Lanka in innovation and industrial engineering.
At the same event, C2S.LK, a Sri Lankan engineering brand under its parent company Abacus Tea (Pvt) Ltd, was recognised for Outstanding Technology and Equipment Innovation, further reinforcing Sri Lanka’s growing credibility in intellectual property driven industrial solutions.
A Sri Lankan Answer to a Global Industry Challenge
The recognition centres on a patented Sri Lankan machine conversion technology that eliminates the use of metal staples in tea bags, a challenge that engineers worldwide have attempted to resolve for more than two decades.
Following tighter food safety regulations, particularly in India, tea manufacturers were faced with the costly option of replacing entire machines, each priced between USD 500,000 and USD 1 million. Instead, the Sri Lankan invention offered a practical alternative by upgrading existing machinery to meet global standards while extending machine life and reducing waste.
To date, over 50 machines have been converted across India and Sri Lanka for leading companies including Hindustan Unilever, Tata, Akbar Brothers, George Steuart’s and Union Commodities.
Economic Impact Beyond Recognition
Beyond awards and recognition, the invention has delivered substantial economic value. It has already brought in a large amount of foreign exchange to Sri Lanka, while saving the tea industries of India and Sri Lanka many times more by avoiding the purchase of expensive brand new machinery.
This dual benefit of earning foreign exchange while preventing unnecessary outflows highlights the strategic value of Sri Lankan engineering innovation when scaled regionally.
Consistent International Recognition
The Asia Awards add to an expanding list of global accolades. In recent years, C2S.LK and Rohan De Lanerolle have also been recognised at the Commonwealth Business Excellence Awards in South Africa and the South Asian Business Excellence Awards in the Maldives, reflecting sustained international confidence in the technology.
A Model for Sri Lanka’s Industrial Future
As Sri Lanka seeks new pathways for economic growth, the success of C2S.LK demonstrates how patented engineering solutions can create long term value beyond traditional exports. It underscores the importance of supporting innovation early and allowing ideas to mature into globally competitive solutions.
The recognition at the Asia Awards 2026 stands as a reminder that Sri Lanka possesses the talent, experience and ingenuity to deliver solutions of regional and global significance.
