About Us

Our Vision

“To be a result driven, technology oriented, regional holding company”

Our vision is to be a prominent source of corporate inspiration in the region. Being a leading organization that prioritizes meeting customer needs and harnessing employee potential, we are poised to achieve both profitability and the fulfillment of our social responsibilities.

Driving Towards a
Brighter Tomorrow

The Carson Cumberbatch Group operates in 6 industry sectors and maintains a global presence spanning 5 continents and over 60 countries, including prominent business hubs in Asia and Southeast Asia. We are proud to house some of Sri Lanka's most-loved brands and provide rewarding opportunities to over 13,000 individuals in the region, in an inclusive and respectful work environment.

We strive to expand our avenues of value creation by taking advantage of growth trends across South Asia. We value corporate stability and endurance, and have achieved this through visionary management, strategic thinking, innovation, agility and endurance. Our goal is to deliver growing, sustainable value to our stakeholders.

Carsons at a Glance

Company Facts

Years
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of Operating
Excellence

Countries
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Global
Presence

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of Plantation Land Bank

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Brewing
Capacity

sq.ft.
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of Real
Estate
Keys
0

in 2
Hotels

Group Performance

Rs. 0 Bn

Revenue
(FY 2022/23)

Rs. 0 Bn

Net Profit
(FY 2022/23)

Rs. 0 Bn
Total Asset Base
(FY 2022/23)
Rs. 0 Bn

Market Cap of 8 Listed Companies

(As at 31.03.2023)

Our Journey

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Our History

1857
Carson arrives in Ceylon.
1860
Carson opens his first office in Baillie Street in Colombo to import cotton goods.
1861
The Company obtains the Agency of London Assurance.
1881
H. Cumberbatch, a coffee planter, joins Sabonadiere and Company, an organisation that was foremost among the estate agencies of that period and dealt with the produce of 113 plantations.
1884
Sabonadiere and Company declares bankruptcy with the decline of the coffee industry. H. Cumberbatch resurrects the interests of the Company under the name Cumberbatch & Company, which goes on to become one of the most recognised estate agency houses in the Island.
1891
Carson & Company obtains the agency in Ceylon for the Bibby Line of Steamers.
1897
Carson & Company acquires the agencies for the Nippon Yusen and the White Star Line of steamers.
1902
Carson & Company moves to Australia Building in York Street, Fort.
1910
The Grand Central Ceylon Rubber Estates belonging to Carson & Company are floated on the London Stock Exchange with an authorised capital of 1.5 million sterling pounds, making it the largest rubber concern in Sri Lanka.
1913
Carson & Company is converted into a limited liability company.
1947
The merger between Carson & Company Limited and Cumberbatch & Company, results in the name of the Company being changed to Carson Cumberbatch PLC (CCCL).
1963
Leechman & Company Limited, which was incorporated in 1953, becomes a subsidiary of CCCL.
1969
Carsons made a strategic decision to shift from rubber plantations to oil palm cultivation in Malaysia. Around the same time, Kanapathy Selvanathan and his sons, Manoharan and Hariharan Selvanathan, join the business and, with their strategic foresight, invest in CCCL.
1972
CCCL moves into a new office complex at Vauxhall Lane, Colombo 2.
1976
CCCL diversifies into hotels, real estate and investments. The Group builds two hotels - Giritale Hotel and Moonlight Beach Hotel and takes over the management of Pegasus Reef Hotel.
1976
The Government commences the nationalisation of estates, and CCCL’s office complex and a section of its stores at Vauxhall Lane are acquired. CCCL moves back to the Australia Building in York Street, Fort.
1986
CCCL constructs its own office premises at 67, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7.
1988
Sri Krishna Corporation Limited, a renowned manufacturing and exporting house in Sri Lanka owned by the Selvanathan Family, a 75 year old company, which is a leading manufacturing and exporting house in Sri Lanka, acquires a controlling interest in Carson Cumberbatch PLC.
1990
CCCL demolishes the building occupied by the Company’s airline and travel sectors on Janadhipathi Mawatha to build a new office complex, Equity Two.
1991
CCCL enters into a joint venture with Unit Trust of India, Bank of Ceylon and HSBC Asset Management Company to set up one of Sri Lanka's pioneering fund management companies.
1992
CCCL secures the management contract for Elpitiya Plantations, which the Company had managed until privatisation.
1993
Carsons Management Services (Private) Limited is established to provide management services to all the companies of the Group.
1996
Carsons expands its interest in oil palm plantations into Indonesia. A plantation project under PT Agro Indomas commences in Central Kalimantan, increasing the overseas oil palm plantations land bank from 1,800 hectares to 18,000 hectares.
1997
A state-of-the-art brewery at Biyagama is commissioned, which will more than double the Group’s brewing capacity.
1997
CCCL takes over the management of three investment holding companies - the Ceylon Guardian Investment Trust Limited, the Ceylon Investment Trust Limited and the Rubber Investment Trust Limited
1999
The Group divests its stake in Moonlight Beach Hotel.
2000
The first mill commenced operations in PT Agro Indomas to process palm fruits to crude palm oil with a milling capacity of 297,000MT per annum.
2006
Sale of Bukit Darah oil palm estate in Malaysia in order to re-invest funds in Indonesia to acquire a new plantation project of 20,000 hectares under PT Agro Bukit in Central Kalimantan.
2008
Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd was incorporated in Singapore as the holding company of the plantations sector to consolidate and regionalize the sector's asset base.
2010
A Kernel Crushing Plant was commissioned in PT Agro Bukit with a crushing capacity of 108,000MT per annum. Commissioned a Bulking Station in Bagendang Port in Sampit, Indonesia with a storage capacity of 10,500MT.
2011
Goodhope acquires Premium Vegetable Oils Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) and Arani Agro Oil Industries (India), both specializing in palm oil refining and manufacturing. This acquisition strategically positions Goodhope in the plantations, oils, and fats sector by integrating the palm oil value chain.
2014
Lion Brewery acquires Millers Brewery.
2019
Premium’s downstream sector enters a joint-venture partnership with Japan’s market leader in oils and fats manufacturing, J-Oil Mills.
2019
Investment companies launches a USD 4.5 million overseas investment initiative via a fund structure in the Republic of Mauritius.
2023
Lion Beer (Ceylon) Pte. Ltd. is incorporated in Singapore.

Our Global Presence

Board of Directors

Our Board is ultimately in charge of ensuring our long-term performance, creating sustainable shareholder value, and making a positive impact on society.

Management Services

The Board of Directors of the Management Services arm is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of our company, ensuring our businesses run smoothly and efficiently. The Board is also responsible for developing and implementing new strategies to help us grow and succeed.