When you imagine the business world of Sri Lanka, one name comes to your mind and that is Ishara Chinthaka Nanayakkara. He is as of 2025 the wealthiest person in Sri Lanka, worth approximately USD 1.6 billion. Yet behind the impressive figures is a tale of vision, sweat and world influence.
Childhood and Early Life History Early Life and Foundation
The natural entrepreneurial background is represented by his birth into a family of entrepreneurs, so the business path was determined at the early stage of his life. His father called Rajah Nanayaka started Ishara Traders in 1973, and was the pioneer in the importation of reconditioned cars from Japan to Sri Lanka. This provided a basis of future aspirations of Ishara.
He received education in Royal College, Colombo and received useful business education in Japan. In order to improve his knowledge, he acquired a Diploma in Business Accounting in Dandenong College in Australia. This blend in education and real life programming established him as a vision-oriented leadership.
Putting up an Empire
Ishara was the board member of LOLC Holdings PLC, which is one of the largest conglomerates in Sri Lanka in 2002. His stock in the group increased over the year and he became Chairman of the group with the group expanding internationally with record profits.
LOLC today is no longer a Sri Lankan success story but a global powerhouse as its operations are in Asia and Africa. In addition to LOLC, Ishara is the Chairman of the Browns investments PLC and the Brown and Company PLC as well as company director of various industries directors across bank and hospitality among others.
The Way of Driving Global Growth Through Microfinance
The importance of Ishara, which is among his greatest accomplishments, is that he targets microfinance and MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises). Expressing a vision of making small entrepreneurs in the developing countries financially inclusive, he transformed LOLC into a leader in financial inclusion.
By engaging in business in Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and in the other states, LOLC became the lacuna between financial services and the unserved population. Such international perspective made a Sri Lankan company an international brand in inclusive finance.
Awards and Accommodations
Crowned Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 at the Asia-Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards.
led LOLC to pass over LKR 1 trillion in assets already in 2018 the first time in the Sri Lankan business history.
Widely revered because of his capability to unite visionary leadership with working performance.
Ishara has frequently pointed out that wealth is a reward not an end in itself, although he has pointed out that it is an achievement and it is enjoyable. To him, establishing sustainable businesses to raise societies is the actual accomplishment.’
A Futurist
It is not simply a story of wealth as in the case of Ishara Nanayakkara. It is an adventure of ambition, strategic thinking, and what it decides to believe in empowerment of others. It is the journey of a humble trading business to the helm of one of the most prosperous conglomerates in the country that runs down his career.
With this current rise of Sri Lanka in the international scene, entrepreneurs such as Ishara, are leaving a path that will lead another generation of the new breed of entrepreneurs.
Final Thought
Ishara Nanayakkara through a small story teaches us that profitable leadership is not just making profits but also it is about creating opportunities, innovation and a legacy worth remembering.
Written By: –
Rtr. Mimico Matharage
(Senior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
