Appointment of the Director, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka

The Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka (TRISL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mahasen A. B. Ranatunga as the Director of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka with effect from July, 2026.

Dr. Ranatunga is a senior tea scientist and agricultural biotechnologist with extensive professional experience in tea research, plant breeding, agricultural biotechnology, genetic resource conservation and research management. His professional career has been closely associated with the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, where he has progressively served in a range of scientific and senior management positions, including Research Scientist (2001), Senior Research Officer (2008), Principal Research Officer (2018), Head of the Plant Breeding Division (2012), Deputy Director Research (Production) (2023), Additional Director (2024), and Director (Attending/Acting) (2024–2025).

He holds a PhD in Plant Sciences from the Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya; and MSc in Biotechnology from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India; and a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Peradeniya. He has also undertaken postdoctoral research at the National Food Research Institute, Japan, further strengthening his expertise in advanced plant science and biotechnology.

Dr. Ranatunga has an established record of research in tea genetic improvement, cultivar development, germplasm characterisation and conservation, molecular breeding, genetic diversity, tea quality, climate resilience and biotechnology. He has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator of several nationally and internationally supported research programmes, including major initiatives on genetic improvement of tea, climate adaptation, drought tolerance, tea quality assessment and the application of advanced analytical technologies.

His scientific contribution is reflected in more than 40 peer-reviewed research publications, six book chapters and more than 50 scientific communications, together with extensive postgraduate research supervision and national and international scientific collaboration. He has also received 12 national research grants, three international research grants and three special development projects at TRI. His scientific contributions have been recognised through several awards for scientific excellence and research publications, including national-level awards for agricultural and scientific research since 2009. He has also served as an Editorial Board Member of the Sri Lanka Journal of Tea Science (SLJTS) since 2019 and as an Associate Editor of Beverage Plant Research since 2024.

In addition to his research responsibilities, Dr. Ranatunga has contributed to national scientific, technical and professional organisations, including the Institute of Biology, the National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC), and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLASS). He has also been actively involved in research policy, technology transfer, scientific publications, cultivar development and sectoral research and development initiatives.

Dr. Ranatunga has further contributed to the governance and development of the plantation and agricultural research sectors through his membership on the Boards of Directors of the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, National Institute of Plantation Management and Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation, as well as through his representation on the Council for Agricultural Research Policy and the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.

With his extensive experience in tea science, research leadership, institutional management and stakeholder engagement, the appointment of Dr. Ranatunga provides a strong foundation for further strengthening the research, innovation, technology transfer and national service functions of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka.

The Chairman of the Tea Research Board, Prof. W. A. J. M. De Costa, and the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka extend their best wishes to Dr. Mahasen A. B. Ranatunga in his new role as the 19th Director of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka and look forward to his leadership in advancing tea research and innovation towards a productive, sustainable and globally competitive tea industry, while further strengthening Sri Lanka’s position in global tea science and the Ceylon Tea sector.

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