Aitken Spence Printing has become the first Sri Lankan offset printing company to win a WorldStar Award, taking the 2026 prize in the Luxury Packaging category at the World Packaging Organisation’s annual ceremony in Düsseldorf, the Daily FT reported on Friday.
The award was presented in May 2026 at a ceremony held alongside Interpack, the world’s leading processing and packaging trade fair, with the Düsseldorf event drawing global industry leaders. WorldStar entries are open only to winners of recognised national or regional packaging competitions, and the WPO — a non-profit federation of 84 members across 66 countries — counts the prize as one of the highest international accolades in the sector.
The award is the company’s first win on its first WorldStar entry. Director and CEO Deshantha Silva called the recognition “especially meaningful as it comes during our very first participation,” and credited the company’s “adaptive manufacturing model” and process and sustainability investments. Aitken Spence PLC Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena framed the win as a wider signal for Sri Lankan exporters, saying it “reflects the ability of Sri Lankan enterprises to compete and succeed on the global stage” — a message the group has been repeating after headline FY26 group results lifted the Colombo blue-chip cluster this week.
Aitken Spence Printing operates a 100,000 sq ft facility in Mawaramandiya outside Colombo, supplying FMCG, tea, beverage and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, publications, consumer durables, apparel, stationery and point-of-sale material across local and export markets. It says it remains South Asia’s first LEED Gold and Carbon Neutral certified printer and holds ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, SMETA and FSC certifications, with rooftop solar, daylight harvesting, rainwater harvesting and wastewater purification all built into its sustainability programme.
