A virtual launch held today (Feb. 12) introduced UPI transactions via LankaQR, enhancing digital payments for Indian tourists in Sri Lanka.
Led by NPCI International Payments Limited & LankaPay Pvt Ltd, the initiative aims to rapidly expand, with 10,000 merchants set to accept UPI payments shortly after launch.
By March 2024, this number will reach 65,000, providing a seamless payment solution for Indian tourists, the Presidential Media Division states.
————————–
(Previous News : Published at 2024/02/12 at 9:26 am)
India-Sri Lanka launch UPI to boost tourism
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry says that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will be launched between India and Sri Lanka from Monday (12).
The UPI is a digital payment gateway that facilitates instant person-to-person or person-to-merchant transactions using a mobile phone.
Launched in India in 2016, this is currently the most popular payment method in India.
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said that UPI will be officially launched online on today (12).
The Minister said the system is expected to be implemented centering Colombo and is expected to increase tourism in Sri Lanka.
The agreement regarding the UPI between Sri Lanka and India was signed between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe in October last year, during President Wickremesinghe’s two-day official visit.
SriLankan Airlines has dispatched a special relief flight – UL 302 from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to Medan International Airport on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to transport 101 passengers and crew members of SriLankan Airlines flight UL 306, which was grounded due to a technical fault.Singapore-bound SriLankan Airlines flight UL 306, which departed from BIA in Katunayake for Singapore last evening (June 05), had made an emergency landing at Medan Kuala Namu International Airport due to a technical issue.
Following an inspection by an Indonesian technical team, it was determined that the necessary repairs would require additional time. Therefore, SriLankan Airlines decided to accommodate the passengers in hotels.
Although a complication had initially arisen when Indonesian authorities initially declined to grant permission for hotel transfers, it was later resolved through the intervention of the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia.
Meanwhile, a technical team from Sri Lanka had departed for Indonesia on a flight bound for Jakarta this morning (June 06) to further inspect the grounded aircraft.
Minister of Trade – Wasantha Samarasinghe has warned that the government will be forced to introduce a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for salt by this week, if importers attempt to sell imported salt at higher prices.
Speaking at a media briefing, he said that a kilo of imported salt will cost Rs. 77, along with the 40% tax imposed by the government.
“Let’s say it has been priced at Rs. 80 a kilo. Then, wholesale traders are allowed to keep a profit of Rs. 10, 20, or 30. But not beyond this margin. However, if importers are trying to use this shortage to create a racket, then I would like to warn them not to engage in such activities. We will be forced to impose a Maximum Retail Price if this continues,” he added.
CEAT OHT Lanka (Pvt) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of CEAT Limited, India, has reassured employees that their jobs are secure following the acquisition of the CAMSO brand’s off-highway construction equipment bias tyre and tracks business from Michelin Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.
The holding company, CEAT Ltd. of Mumbai, India, announced in December 2024 that a definitive agreement had been signed for the acquisition. This includes the Midigama plant. the Casting Product Division in Kotugoda and some parts of other divisions providing central services.
To formalize the transition, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on May 22, 2025, between CEAT OHT Lanka, Michelin Lanka, and the Inter Company Employees Union.
The agreement guarantees 100% job security, preservation of past service, seniority, remuneration, and employee benefits.
However, employees of Michelin Lanka in Midigama, Matara, recently protested claiming that their jobs were at risk due to the sale.
CEAT, operating in over 120 countries, emphasized its commitment to employee welfare and workplace satisfaction, affirming it will honor all obligations under the agreement and actively invest in business growth.
CEAT, listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange and part of the RPG Group, is a leading manufacturer of tyres for cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, and off-highway vehicles.
CEAT had previously acquired Kelani Tyres, a fully state-owned enterprise in 1993, which was considered as a controversial deal facilitated by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
