Who Owns John Keells?

The John Keells story begins in 1870, when brothers Edwin and Arthur John established a trading and shipping agency in Colombo, then part of British Ceylon. The business handled tea exports, produce and shipping agency work, riding the growth of Ceylon's plantation economy. For most of the next century it operated as a diversified trading house.

The firm became John Keells Limited and, over the twentieth century, diversified from trading into new sectors: tea brokerage, insurance agency work, aviation services and manufacturing. The pivotal shift came after Sri Lanka's economy opened in the late 1970s. The group moved into hotels, real estate and financial services, and in 1986 John Keells Holdings listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, becoming the first Sri Lankan conglomerate to go public with a broad shareholder base.

The 1990s and 2000s saw the group build the structure it holds today. It acquired and expanded hotel properties under the Cinnamon brand, built the Keells supermarket chain, and grew its consumer foods businesses, including Elephant House ice cream and soft drinks. It also deepened stakes in Nations Trust Bank and Union Assurance, and developed its logistics and transportation interests.

The past decade has been defined by the largest investment program in Sri Lankan corporate history. The group developed Cinnamon Life, an integrated resort complex in central Colombo anchored by the City of Dreams Sri Lanka property, which opened in 2024 and 2025 in partnership with Melco Resorts. The project, costing more than $1 billion, added a casino, luxury hotel, residences, offices and retail space. It also launched John Keells CG Auto, which became a major importer and distributor of new energy vehicles, and expanded the Keells supermarket network past 130 stores.

Fiscal year 2025/26, ended March 31, 2026, was a record. Group revenue rose to Rs.528.9 billion from Rs.317.4 billion, an increase of about 67%, and EBITDA grew 75% to Rs.80.0 billion as the integrated resort began contributing revenue. Net income more than doubled, and the group reported that its biggest investment phase had concluded, shifting the capital cycle from deployment to cash generation.