David Pieris Group’s seed capital to Northern start-ups
View(s):The David Pieris Group, in a milestone celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and regional empowerment, awarded over Rs. 20 million in seed funding to selected young entrepreneurs at the Thalir Seed Funding Award Ceremony 2025, held recently at the North Gate Hotel in Jaffna.
This event marked the next phase of the group’s visionary ‘Thalir’ initiative, launched just a few months ago to uplift aspiring entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka’s Northern Region under the Northern Development Programme of David Pieris Group, according to a company media release.
Officials and recipients of the seed capital.
Meaning “sprout” in Tamil, Thalir reflects the spirit of growth and fresh beginnings—an apt symbol for the energy and ambition of the young business minds now poised to make their mark. Designed to provide both capital and mentorship, the programme aims to support scalable business ventures across key sectors including automotive, logistics, information technology, agriculture, tourism and exports.
The ceremony saw four individuals each receiving grants of Rs. 500,000 to kickstart their business ideas, while three standout ventures secured convertible funding totaling approximately Rs. 20 million. These entrepreneurs were selected from over 100 applicants, with 26 shortlisted for the second-round workshop designed to assess project viability, innovation and community impact.
Speaking at the event, Jeyaraj Sayanthan, Project Lead – Thalir and Group Chief Information Officer of David Pieris Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, noted, “We were impressed by the sheer creativity and commitment shown by these young visionaries. Thalir is not just a funding programme—it’s a platform to inspire long-term economic growth in the North through sustainable, forward-thinking entrepreneurship.”
Thalir is part of a broader northern development strategy initiated by the David Pieris Group in 2021 under the guidance of Mr. Pieris. Over the years, the group has introduced a range of impactful initiatives in the region—from launching an automotive workshop in Jaffna and introducing a pioneering electric three-wheeler taxi service under the e-Drive brand, to advancing women’s empowerment programmes and establishing a modern IT Development Centre in Jaffna.
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