Founded in 1939, DIMO has grown into a conglomerate focused on meaningfully impacting Sri Lanka’s industrial and economic progress. With a diversified portfolio spanning agriculture, healthcare, mobility, education, and more, the group aligns its objectives with the national development agenda, focusing on innovative solutions that bridge technological gaps and incorporating global best practices to meet the country’s evolving needs.
Guided by the philosophy of “fuelling dreams and aspirations,” DIMO integrates its operations across rural and urban sectors to ensure widespread impact. From empowering farming communities with advanced agricultural solutions and equipping local youth with correct skill sets to strengthening healthcare facilities in the country, the group emphasizes sustainable initiatives that address immediate challenges while supporting long-term national goals.
Fostering Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture is pivotal in Sri Lanka’s economy, employing a large portion of the population, particularly in rural areas. DIMO has made substantial contributions to the sector under its agriculture arm, DIMO Agribusinesses, focusing on improving productivity and ensuring farming sustainability. The company has supported agricultural development through a range of initiatives, helping enhance both the economic output and long-term viability of the country’s farming practices.
DIMO Agribusinesses, in partnership with the Market Development Facility (MDF), an Australian Government-funded multi-country initiative, has implemented a project to enhance sustainable agricultural practices and elevate Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector. This initiative focuses on farmer awareness, training, and adopting advanced fertiliser technologies.
Through this collaboration, farmers and agri-input dealers gain valuable knowledge on modern fertiliser technologies, their application methods, and their role in improving crop yields. DIMO supports farmers through training sessions, demonstration plots, product samples, and personalised advisory services, ensuring confidence in adopting new-generation fertilisers.
The project promotes the benefits of innovative fertilisers such as Nitrophoska, Limus Urea, and Penergetic natural soil enhancers while encouraging the cultivation of local hybrid seeds. Nitrophoska is a high-quality complex fertiliser that delivers all essential nutrients in a single granule, ensuring balanced crop nutrition with minimal waste. Limus Urea reduces nitrogen loss from urea as ammonia emissions by up to 98%, improving nitrogen absorption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing urea application intensity by 30-40%. Penergetic is a bio-stimulant that enhances plant growth and resilience.
This initiative is vital in advancing Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector by promoting sustainable and efficient farming practices.
Another significant example is DIMO’s involvement in the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnership Programme (SHAPP), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Under this programme, DIMO provided fertilizers for maize cultivation across five districts, resulting in increased crop yields and improved food security. The initiative is vital for national development, as it directly supports the agricultural economy while enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. With the Sri Lankan government allocating 7,400MT of fertilizer to the programme, this collaboration marks the largest fertilizer distribution to a private company in the last three decades.
DIMO’s commitment extends beyond fertilizer distribution. The company actively participates in research and development, particularly within the tea and coconut sectors. By supplying fertilizers to institutions like the Tea Research Institute and the Coconut Research Institute, DIMO assists in improving cultivation techniques and enhancing the quality of these critical crops.
In addition, DIMO has introduced modern farming technologies, such as greenhouses, micro-irrigation systems, and drones, which have allowed farmers to optimize operations and increase productivity. These technologies and advanced farming practices significantly improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption.
One of the most transformative initiatives is DIMO’s promotion of precision agriculture. By providing high-yield seeds, advanced fertilizers, and biological solutions like Penergetic, DIMO is reshaping Sri Lanka’s farming landscape.
DIMO supports nation-building through its impactful Out-grower programme, providing farmers with essential agri-inputs, guidance, and sustainable farming methods while securing markets for their produce. This produce is then transformed into value-added products like Virgin Coconut Oil, cream, dehydrated snacks, fruit chunks, and drinks for local and international markets, boosting Sri Lanka’s exports, enhancing farmer incomes, and driving economic growth with their state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.
Recognizing the challenges faced by local farmers, such as labour shortages and the need for higher productivity, DIMO has introduced innovative solutions, including Mahindra tractors, LOVOL harvesters, Bison boat tractors, and STIHL’s advanced agricultural tools like tillers, mist blowers, and tea pruners. These technologies empower farmers to modernize practices, enhance yields, and drive agriculture mechanization.
Through partnerships with leading financial institutions, including microfinancing options, DIMO ensures that these cutting-edge tools and equipment are accessible to farmers, enabling them to embrace modern technology without financial constraints.
The company prioritizes agricultural development by educating farmers and planters through workshops, demonstrations, and training on sustainable practices while fostering rural development. Beyond farmers, the company conducts training on agricultural machinery and technologies for university students, colleges, and corporate and government sectors, building a skilled workforce to address modern agricultural challenges. By bridging academia, the corporate sector, and government institutions, these initiatives aim to create a sustainable and progressive agricultural ecosystem, contributing to national development.
Advancing the Nation’s Health
DIMO has made significant contributions to Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector through its healthcare arm, DIMO Healthcare. The company has played a key role in enhancing diagnostic capabilities nationwide by installing cutting-edge technologies, including PET/MRI systems, high-quality microscopes and critical care equipment from globally renowned brands like Siemens Healthineers, Zeiss and Drager. This effort aligns with national health goals to improve patient outcomes nationwide.
This provision of radiology and critical care equipment has significantly impacted healthcare across Sri Lanka, including rural areas. It enables over 500,000 radiotherapy sessions and 125,000 eye surgeries annually, benefiting thousands of Sri Lankans through public and private sector facilities. This access to advanced healthcare services is crucial in addressing regional disparities and ensuring equitable care.
Beyond the initial installation of equipment, DIMO’s commitment to the healthcare sector extends through unparalleled after-sales services. The company has established a comprehensive support network across Sri Lanka, ensuring that medical equipment remains operational and accessible without disruption. This includes regular maintenance, emergency support, and a dedicated service team that guarantees equipment is available 24/7 with minimum downtime, further enhancing the reliability of healthcare delivery.
DIMO has also strengthened its position in oncology through a partnership with Varian, a global leader in radiation oncology. This collaboration has allowed DIMO to meet the increasing demand for effective cancer treatments in Sri Lanka. Additionally, DIMO actively contributes to raising awareness and improving access to quality cancer care by organizing knowledge-sharing sessions with the medical community. Through these efforts, DIMO supports Sri Lanka’s broader health objectives, particularly in the fight against cancer.
Strengthening Mobility and Connectivity
DIMO’s impact on the mobility sector underscores its national commitment to improving the country’s transportation infrastructure. As the authorized distributor for prestigious automotive brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Jeep, Chrysler, and Tata, DIMO has significantly contributed to the mobility landscape in Sri Lanka by strengthening public transportation and building new dimensions in private sector transportation solutions, where its expertise in mobility has been particularly impactful.
DIMO has strengthened Sri Lanka’s local economy by establishing a state-of-the-art vehicle assembly plant in Weliweriya to respond strategically to vehicle import restrictions. This initiative was introduced to ensure the continued availability of reliable transportation solutions when the country ceased vehicle imports. By assembling nearly 900 Tata vehicles locally—including the Tata ACE, widely known as the DIMO Batta, and the Tata Xenon Yodha single cabs—DIMO has not only met the mobility needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger corporations but also stimulated local value addition and economic activities. The assembly plant adheres to stringent quality standards, ensuring that vehicles meet customer expectations and enhancing Sri Lanka’s industrial capabilities. This is one of the initiatives that reflects DIMO’s commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s transportation sector while supporting economic resilience.
DIMO has played a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s railway sector by delivering extensive maintenance services for MTU engines. Powering a fleet of 114 locomotives, these engines ensure seamless operations and reinforce the country’s railway infrastructure. With consistent maintenance support and technical expertise, DIMO ensures these engines operate at peak performance, reducing downtime while strengthening Sri Lanka’s railway transportation system. These initiatives underscore DIMO’s vital role in sustaining Sri Lanka’s transportation infrastructure while driving the efficiency of public services and bolstering the nation’s economy.
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Workforce
A nation’s development is fundamentally tied to the strength of its vocational and technical education systems. Vocational education plays a pivotal role in equipping individuals with the skills required to adapt to new ideas and innovative practices and efficiently manage the complexities of a dynamic and increasingly sophisticated economy. Identifying this importance, DIMO established its vocational education arm, DIMO Academy, which enhances vocational education in automobile mechatronics, plant engineering, LPG technology and more.
In Sri Lanka, university degrees have historically overshadowed vocational qualifications, mainly due to the limited visibility of success stories within the vocational sector. Recognizing the contribution of vocational education in nation-building, the company made a significant effort to change the perception of vocational education in Sri Lanka, positioning it as a legitimate and rewarding career path with true success stories. This paved the way for more and more young men and women to enrol in vocational education qualifications offered by DIMO Academy throughout the years.
DIMO’s involvement in the vocational education sector addresses Sri Lanka’s increasing need for skilled professionals. Through DIMO Academy, the company has set a new standard in vocational education, equipping local youth with the expertise needed to thrive in global industries. The academy adopts the German dual training methodology, which emphasizes practical experience and real-world problem-solving.
By providing internationally recognized qualifications and integrating technical skills with language proficiency, DIMO Academy ensures that its graduates are fully prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce. In collaboration with local and international employers, DIMO Academy helps bridge the skills gap, creating valuable career opportunities for young people.
DIMO’s mission is to contribute meaningfully to Sri Lanka’s national development by aligning its business strategies with its growth objectives. More than just a corporate entity, DIMO positions itself as a perfect partner in Sri Lanka’s progress. Through initiatives in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, mobility, and education, the company is helping to create a brighter future for the nation. By empowering individuals and communities, DIMO aims to strengthen its reputation as a nation-builder, driving success in areas that promote economic growth, sustainability, innovation, and social well-being.