Vyaparika Handa from April

The business magazine LMD will soon be available in Sinhala, its publisher Media Services said recently. Following two pilot editions of Vyaparika Handa (VH) and the encouraging response to the new journal, Media Services says it is launching VH as a quarterly publication.

"VH will contain a mix of translated reading material from its flagship LMD, in addition to content that is tailor-made for the magazine's target audience - Sinhala-speaking business people across the island, entrepreneurs and others that contribute to the SME sector in this country".

The full-colour Vyaparika Handa will cover core-business issues, current affairs, management topics and the results of exclusive polls commissioned by LMD - especially the monthly survey of business people that produces the nation's only measure of business confidence, The LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index. Other LMD-instigated surveys include TNS Lanka's countrywide poll that covers people-centric issues every month.

The magazine will also cover LMD's Sri Lankan of The Year award each year, including a translated version of the cover story that accompanies the announcement in December.

In 2009, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was nominated by LMD, whilst Muttiah Muralitharan took the honours last year.

Media Services said "We are targeting a readership of around 20,000 initially, but the sky is the limit given the numbers that make up Vyaparika Handa's target readership."

The launch issue will come out in early April and be available at bookshops and supermarkets islandwide.