A truly family run business - Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Ltd is internationally renowned as one of Sri Lanka's foremost exporters of high-quality Ceylon Tea. In addition to its vast tea enterprise, the company has successfully diversified into a range of other industries through strategic reinvention and expansion.
With structured diversification and planning the group is now involved in Tea, Sustainable power generation, Healthcare, Packaging, Property Development and Environmental services – all of which are operated in accordance with a quality of products and services standard and ethical and responsible treatment of all stakeholders.
With an eye to the future and focused on moving further into sustainable solutions, the group credits its growth and success to its commitment to integrity and its dedication to providing the best products and services to business partners and clientele worldwide.
Shaikh Hebtulabhoy migrated from India to Sri Lanka, establishing a food import/export company. He was the first ancestor of the Akbarallys in Ceylon.
After the great blight destroyed the Ceylon coffee industry, planters switched to tea. Shaikh Hebtulabhoy and his sons began trading in tea, which had rapidly become the islands leading export.
Tyeabally Shaikh Hebtulabhoy established the tea company, M. S. Hebtulabhoy & Company Limited. Hebtulabhoy & Co began shipping tea overseas.
Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Limited was formed.
Shaikh Akbarally Tyeabally, father of the three founding directors, joined Akbar Brothers.
Systematic diversification begins into Tourism and Warehousing. The Welisara purchasing complex commences operations.
Quick Tea (PVT) Ltd was formed to undertake the processing and export of tea bags.
Falcon Trading is established. Akbar Brothers Exports established to handle the group’s exports of packeted tea.
Akbar Brothers becomes Sri Lanka's largest tea exporter; exporting over 21 million kilograms of tea. Tea House was established to market specialty tea packs. Wattala warehousing complex was set up.
Kelaniya Warehousing Complex established.
Akbar Brothers remains Sri Lanka's largest tea exporter, achieves volume of over 31 million kilograms for the first time - an all time national record.
Akbar Brothers Chairman, Mr. Abbas Akbarally, celebrates 50 years in the tea trade. Group receives five awards from the National Chamber of Exporters including “The best Sri Lankan Brand” for ALGHAZALEEN tea.
Akbar Brothers celebrates its tenth consecutive year as Sri Lanka's largest exporter of tea, shipping a value of 38.5 million kilos.
Group diversifies into hydro power with acquisition of Situgala hydro power plant.
First vehicle emissions tests in Sri Lanka performed by group subsidiary, Drivegreen.
Akbar Brothers receives Presidential Export Award for the 32nd time.
Akbar Brothers diversifies further into the renewable energy sector through joint ventures in wind power with Segavintivu, & Vidatmunai Wind Power (Pvt) Ltd.
Akbar Brothers made history by surpassing global competitors to become the World's Leading Tea Exporter, contributing a staggering 52.2 million kilos of single-origin tea to the international market.
This monumental achievement accounted for 16% of Sri Lanka's total exports, underscoring our significant impact on the global tea industry.
Lina Manufacturing, an Akbar Brothers subsidiary in the pharmaceuticals manufacturer sector acquires the Lina Research lab, set up in collaboration with the University of Sri Jayawardenepura.
Akbar Group invests in sustainable aquaculture with Oceanpick (PVT) Ltd.
The Group purchases Flinth Commercial Park. After more than thirty years of expansion and diversification.
Award for Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter by the EDB - Presidential Export Awards.
Award for Best Sri Lankan Export Brand by the EDB - Presidential Export Awards.
Award for Highest Foreign Exchange - Tea Sector by the EDB - Presidential Export Awards.
Award for Best Sri Lankan Export Brand by the EDB - Presidential Export Awards
Quick tea was certified as the first Carbon-Inset ® Company in Asia in 2019 by The Sustainable Future Group (SFG).
Akbar Brothers celebrated its 50th Anniversary in grandeur and rewarded their employees for their years of service.
Akbar Brothers won the 35th Presidential Awards for "Best Exporter - Tea sector", "Most Globally Outreached Sri Lankan Brand" and "Sri Lankan Export Brand"
Akbar Brothers was the 1st Tea company in the world to be awarded ‘Covid-19 Control Environment’ Certification by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution( SLSI).
Akbar Brothers receives the Presidential Export Award for Globally Outreached Sri Lankan Brand for the year 2020/2021
The company was also presented the Best Exporter Award in the Tea Industry, for the 12th consecutive year.
Akbar Brothers Private Limited started with a modest dream, and the fierce determination to make that dream a reality. Taking over from our father and his father before him, at the time we could not imagine the successes that were to come as we forged forward becoming the flagship brand of finest Ceylon tea.
Over the years, ABL has explored new ventures and invested in various innovations and transformative technologies that allowed the company to enter and prosper in diverse sectors such as, power and energy, banking and insurance, pharmaceuticals, property development, and management. Through it all, the ‘tea business’ no doubt has been at the heart of our work. We cannot forget our humble beginnings, and the values with which this company has grown to be what it is today.
In the early days, when the workload was intense it was our wives, our family who stepped up and helped us to push forward. It is the same respect we have for all our staff today. They are the backbone and strength of our Akbar family, and we as a company are unyielding in our commitment and trust towards them. In return our employees have shown the company tremendous loyalty and support.
We believe in cultivating an open and transparent environment and ABL’s successes rely primarily on the honesty and respect between its management, employees, clients and customers. The relationships we foster and the friendships we make are ultimately measures of the progress we have made. With decades of the right experience, unfailing values and a steadfast attitude, ABL has become the hallmark of success in the tea industry and become a prominent player in a wide range of sectors in Sri Lanka.
To pursue unparalleled growth and innovation in all our endeavors, while achieving the highest standard of excellence as the world’s most valued provider of tea.
Our fundamentals are concern & care for our employees as family members.
Excellence in providing an unsurpassed service that one can only dream of.
The highest standard of honesty and integrity is our way of life.
We develop relationships that make our customers our life partners.
“Akbar” is a Brand Beyond Tea
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