Product & Service Launches / Business Expansions
View all(102)📦 LAUGFS Gas Ramps Up Supply to 30,000 Cylinders Daily for Festive Season
Following the resumption of operations at its Hambantota (HBT) and Mabima filling plants, LAUGFS Gas PLC has accelerated island-wide distribution to stabilize market availability. • Current Supply Volume: Approximately 30,000 LPG cylinders are being released daily into the market. • Operational Focus: Both primary facilities are working in tandem to address heightened demand during the upcoming festive period. • Sector Impact: The supply boost is targeted at domestic households, the hospitality sector (hotels and restaurants), and industrial users, which are critical for economic activity during holiday peaks. • Future Outlook: The company has committed to an uninterrupted supply through a stabilization plan involving continuous shipments and ongoing plant operations. _Data based on company announcements as of April 8, 2026._
Abans Finance Partners with Singhagiri for FINAB Smart Device Financing 📱
Abans Finance PLC has launched its smart device financing solution, FINAB, in collaboration with Singhagiri (Pvt) Limited to enhance digital accessibility across Sri Lanka. • Core Offering: Customers can now purchase smartphones and digital devices via flexible installment plans at Singhagiri showrooms islandwide. • Key Features: The service prioritizes fast approvals, minimal documentation, and customer-friendly repayment options to simplify device ownership. • Economic Impact: By targeting the ICT/BPM and digital lifestyle sectors, the partnership supports national digital inclusion, facilitating connectivity for education and business. • Strategic Reach: Combines Singhagiri’s extensive retail network with Abans Finance PLC’s specialized financial services to drive consumer tech adoption. 📈
Colombo Dockyard Inks Major Maintenance Deal with Dredging Corporation of India 📈
Overall Agreement: Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to provide comprehensive dry docking, repairs, and upgrades for DCI’s fleet of dredgers. Strategic Context: This deal follows the recent acquisition of a 51% controlling stake in Colombo Dockyard by India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. The move is a direct result of a strategy to increase Indian-linked business volumes in Sri Lanka. Sector Impact: The partnership positions Sri Lanka’s shipbuilding and repair sector as a preferred regional hub for Indian maritime operations. It focuses on enhancing fleet availability and turnaround efficiency for critical dredging infrastructure. Regional Cooperation: Facilitated with support from the Indian High Commission, the agreement reinforces maritime integration between India and Sri Lanka, focusing on long-term capacity building and engineering excellence in the Indian Ocean. Operations: DCI serves major ports and the Indian Navy; the MoU ensures CDPLC will handle a significant portion of DCI's expanding fleet maintenance, contributing to Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings and technical service exports.
📈 Uber Eats Expands Delivery Services to Nuwara Eliya
Uber Eats has officially launched operations in Nuwara Eliya, targeting the surge in local and international tourism during the April holiday season. This expansion addresses a specific market gap in the region, where dining options traditionally close early despite high evening demand. • Key Strategic Features: Service Extension: Provides late-night food access in a region where outlets typically close early. Logistics Adaptation: Introduction of temperature-controlled insulated bags specifically for Nuwara Eliya’s cold climate to ensure food quality. Cuisine Variety: Offers a mix of local favorites (Kottu, Hoppers) and global brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s. • Economic Impact: Local Business Support: Enables local restaurants to scale reach and increase order volume via digital storefronts. Employment: Creates flexible earning opportunities for delivery partners within the central highlands. • Market Context: This move follows an aggressive expansion strategy across Sri Lanka, building on recent entries into 12 other regions including Jaffna, Matara, Anuradhapura, and Hikkaduwa. The expansion strengthens Uber Eats' footprint in the hospitality and tech-enabled services sector, critical for supporting the country's seasonal tourism economy.
🚗 Hayleys Mobility Launches Kaiyi Flagship Store in Colombo
Hayleys Mobility (a subsidiary of Hayleys Fentons) has officially inaugurated its flagship showroom in Colombo 10, marking a significant step in the expansion of Sri Lanka's electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and retail landscape. • New Retail Hub: Located at Arnold Ratnayake Mawatha, the facility integrates vehicle exploration, test drives, and aftersales care into a single destination, aiming to streamline the automotive customer journey. • Key Product Launch: The store features the Kaiyi eVibe E04, a fully electric subcompact hatchback designed for urban commuting. • Range: 300 km (CLTC-certified). • Charging: Fast-charging capability reaching 80% in 30 minutes. • Technology: Equipped with 360-degree cameras and smartphone integration. • Future Expansion: Hayleys Mobility confirmed the upcoming introduction of the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV, further diversifying their renewable energy mobility portfolio to target broader consumer segments. • Strategic Alignment: The move reinforces the group's focus on sustainable transport and ICT-integrated vehicle solutions, leveraging a nearby dedicated service center to ensure long-term ownership support. 📈
BYD and John Keells CG Auto Hit 10,000 Delivery Milestone 📈
BYD, in partnership with its authorized Sri Lankan agent John Keells CG Auto (JKCG), has officially reached the milestone of 10,000 vehicle deliveries in the local market. • Operational Scale: The milestone was celebrated at the Thudalla delivery hub, currently BYD’s largest facility in Sri Lanka. • Capacity: The Thudalla hub is equipped to handle up to 100 vehicle deliveries per day, signaling a significant scaling of the automotive and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. • Strategic Impact: This achievement underscores the growing consumer shift toward renewable energy in the transport sector and strengthens the partnership between the global EV giant and the John Keells group. • Leadership: The event was led by JKCG CEO Charith Panditharatne, emphasizing the company's commitment to expanding customer access and service efficiency nationwide.
HNB & David Pieris Partner to Boost GWM Vehicle Access 📈
Hatton National Bank (HNB) has formalized a strategic partnership with David Pieris Automobiles Ltd. to offer exclusive leasing solutions for GWM (Great Wall Motor) vehicles, aimed at enhancing mobility and vehicle ownership in Sri Lanka. • Leasing Highlights: HNB provides highly competitive interest rates for both regular and structured lease facilities. Flexible payment structures, including residual value options, to improve affordability. Enhanced financial protection through discounted insurance premiums via HNB General Insurance. • Added Benefits: Eligible customers receive a complimentary life insurance cover from HNB Assurance. David Pieris Automobiles offers free vehicle registration with the Department of Motor Traffic. Customers are entitled to two labor-free vehicle services. • Economic Impact: The partnership supports the automotive and financial services sectors by facilitating the entry of modern, globally-recognized vehicle brands into the local market. This collaboration targets diversification in the transport sector and provides structured financial support for individuals and businesses. _Note: Terms effective from 23 February 2026._
🚀 Binance Launches ChainCeylon 2026 for Blockchain Literacy Binance has officially debuted ChainCeylon 2026, a nationwide educational initiative designed to integrate Web3 and blockchain skills into Sri Lanka's university ecosystem.
• Program Reach: Initial workshops engaged 265 students across four major institutions: University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Kelaniya, Wayamba University, and University of Moratuwa. • Core Focus: The curriculum covers on-chain analysis, real-world blockchain applications, and digital asset fundamentals, with a heavy emphasis on security, regulatory compliance, and risk management. • Strategic Impact: Talent Pipeline: Aims to position Sri Lanka as a regional hub for ICT/BPM and digital innovation by equipping youth with practical technical skills. Community Building: Employs a "campus ambassador" model to create student-led networks, ensuring long-term, sustainable growth in the local digital economy. Economic Context: The initiative supports national goals of digital diversification and workforce readiness for the evolving global fintech landscape. • Outlook: As the program expands nationwide, it focuses on developing a leadership pipeline to advocate for responsible crypto adoption and best practices in the emerging Web3 sector.
1990 Suwa Seriya Opens New Strategic Head Office in Colombo 🚑
The 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation has officially inaugurated its new administrative headquarters in Colombo, marking a significant milestone in the institutionalization of Sri Lanka’s premier pre-hospital care service. • Official Opening: The ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, emphasizing the state's continued commitment to the healthcare and emergency services sector. • Strategic Impact: The new facility is expected to centralize operations for the nationwide ambulance fleet, enhancing coordination for critical medical response. This infrastructure growth supports the public health framework, which remains a vital pillar for national productivity and social welfare. • Operational Context: Since its inception, Suwa Seriya has been a benchmark for efficiency in the ICT-integrated service model, utilizing advanced dispatch technology to maintain rapid response times across all provinces. _Note: Summary based on recent official opening reports; further data on administrative capacity pending._
Commercial Bank Expands ‘ComBank Shakthi’ Network to 26 Locations 📈
• Overview: Commercial Bank of Ceylon has added 22 new outlets to its ComBank Shakthi Agency Banking network, bringing the total to 26 strategic locations island-wide. This expansion complements the bank’s existing 272 branches, totaling 298 physical access points. • Service Model: The network utilizes third-party agents (local businesses) equipped with specialized POS devices. These outlets provide real-time, encrypted transactions including cash deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and bill payments. • Strategic Focus: • Financial Inclusion: Targets underserved and rural communities to bridge the gap between traditional branches and the unbanked. • Operational Synergy: Integrated with Agriculture and Micro Finance Units (AMFU) to leverage existing community trust in rural sectors. • Efficiency: Reduces travel time and costs for customers while maintaining high security standards via SMS confirmations and printed receipts. • Regional Reach: New locations span diverse areas including Katupotha, Akkarayankulam, Akkaraipattu, and Wanathawilluwa, joining initial pilot sites in Tissamaharama and Hambantota. • Impact: The initiative drives economic participation by enabling small businesses and individuals in remote regions to access formal banking, fostering savings and financial security.
📈 Dialog Launches 'GanuDenu QR' for Free Peer-to-Peer Transfers
Dialog Axiata PLC has introduced ‘GanuDenu QR’ via the MyDialog App, a first-of-its-kind solution in Sri Lanka designed to facilitate instant, cashless fund transfers between individuals using Dialog Finance and eZ Cash accounts. • Transaction Details: Users can send or receive up to LKR 5,000 free of charge. The service is designed for daily use cases such as sharing expenses and small community transactions. • Interoperability: The platform is fully interoperable across the LankaPay network, allowing seamless transactions between all CBSL-accredited banks, financial institutions, and fintech platforms. • Digital Inclusion: Launched ahead of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the initiative aims to digitize traditional cash exchanges. The project is supported by the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to drive the national transition toward a cashless economy. • Sector Impact: This move strengthens the ICT/BPM and fintech sectors by expanding QR utility beyond merchant payments to person-to-person (P2P) connectivity. • Incentives: Customers receive 2GB of free data upon completing their first ‘send’ transaction through the app. This initiative represents a significant step in enhancing financial inclusion and digital literacy across the country’s retail and personal finance landscape.
📈 Mintpay Launches No-Expiry Corporate Vouchers Across 2,500 Merchants
Sri Lankan fintech provider Mintpay has introduced a digital Corporate Gifting Solution, aimed at diversifying employee rewards beyond traditional single-store vouchers. The platform has already been adopted by over 50 companies, including Union Assurance, E-Channelling, and Circles Life. • Network & Reach: Vouchers are redeemable across a network of over 2,500 partner merchants islandwide, covering 25+ categories such as fashion, dining, groceries, electronics, and travel. • Key Innovation: Unlike conventional rewards, these vouchers can be converted into "Mint Coins" (1 Coin = Rs. 1) which carry no expiry date. This allows for full or partial redemptions across multiple merchants, with each transaction earning additional cashback. • Corporate Efficiency: The solution features a dedicated Corporate Gifting Portal, allowing for instant issuance, scheduled distribution (e.g., for Avurudu), and personalized branding. • Market Context: Originally launched in 2020 as a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform, Mintpay is expanding its ecosystem into fintech and digital payments, moving toward an open rewards model to meet evolving employee expectations for flexibility and choice.