Sri Lanka had an internet user base of about 6 million as of July 2016, about 28.2% of the population. [1] Despite being a developing country, the E-commerce industry has been receiving funding over the span of 10 years. [2] Market conditions in Sri Lanka are similar to those in India, as cash on delivery is the most preferred payment method. [3] [4]
According to experts, Sri Lanka’s annual domestic E-commerce sales value including services is an estimated US$40 million. This is expected to grow to US$400 million by 2022. Currently, only 0.4% of Sri Lanka’s total annual retail sales (US$10 billion) is in e-commerce. [5] [6] [7]
The Government of Sri Lanka has shown interest in promoting the country's e-commerce industry further. [8] [9]
E-commerce refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. E-commerce is the largest sector of the electronics industry and is in turn driven by the technological advances of the semiconductor industry.
The mixed economy of Sri Lanka was worth 27.60 LKR trillion by gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 and $318 billion by purchasing power parity (PPP). The country had experienced an annual growth of 6.4 percent from 2003 to 2012, well above its regional peers. This growth was driven by the growth of non-tradable sectors, which the World Bank warned to be both unsustainable and unequitable. Growth has slowed since then.In 2022, Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis, characterized by a high inflation, and political instability However, the country stabilized faster than expected in 2023 due to key economic reforms and fiscal discipline. By 2024, Sri Lanka re-entered the path of economic growth, with renewed focus on sustainable and equitable development
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Amazon China, formerly known as Joyo.com, is an online shopping website. Joyo.com was founded in early 2000 by the Chinese entrepreneur Lei Jun in Beijing, China. The company primarily sold books and other media goods, shipping to customers nationwide. Joyo.com was renamed to “Amazon China” when sold to Amazon Inc in 2004 for US$75 Million. Amazon China closed its domestic business in China in June 2019, offering only products from sellers located overseas.
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is the main stock exchange in Sri Lanka that utilizes an electronic trading platform. The CSE headquarters have been located at the World Trade Center (Colombo) Towers in Colombo since 1995, and it has regional branches in Kandy, Jaffna, Negombo, Matara, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura and Ratnapura. The CSE trades 296 companies representing 20 business sectors, as of 25 January 2021, with a combined market capitalization of 3,699 billion Sri Lankan rupees.
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The Rama Prasad Goenka Group, commonly known as RPG Group, is an Indian industrial and services conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. The roots of the RPG Group can be traced back to the enterprise of Ramdutt Goenka in 1820. RPG Enterprises was established in 1979 by Rama Prasad Goenka and initially comprised the Phillips Carbon Black, Asian Cables, Agarpara Jute, and Murphy India companies. R. P. Goenka held the title of Chairman Emeritus until his death in 2013. The present chairman is Harsh Goenka, R. P. Goenka's eldest son.
India–Sri Lanka relations, Indian-Sri Lankan relations, or Indo-Sri Lanka relations, are the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. India has emerged as the foremost partner for Sri Lanka in the endeavor to revitalize its economy, reform its bureaucracy, and enhance decision-making processes for future economic collaborations. India and Sri Lanka share a maritime border. India is the only neighbour of Sri Lanka, separated by the Palk Strait; both states occupy a strategic position in South Asia and have sought to build a common security umbrella in the Indian Ocean. Both India and Sri Lanka are republics that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Textile and clothing industries have been Sri Lanka's largest gross export earner since 1986 and accounted for more than 52% of the total export earnings of the country. It is also the country's largest net foreign exchange earner since 1992. The apparel industry of Sri Lanka employs about 15% of the country's workforce, accounting for about half of the country's total exports, and Sri Lanka is among the top apparel-producing countries in the world relative to its population.
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Hayleys PLC, founded in 1878 by Charles Pickering Hayley, is a multinational and diversified conglomerate company in Sri Lanka, publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with business spanning over 16 sectors, catering to 80 markets worldwide. Hayleys accounts for approximately 5% of Sri Lanka's export income, and 4.6% of the country's tea and 4.1% of its rubber production. With over 35,000 employees, Hayley was also the first listed entity in the country to surpass annual revenue of US$1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017/18. The company operates over 16 business sectors: eco-solutions, hand protection, purification, agriculture, consumer and retail, leisure, textile manufacturing, construction materials, plantations, industrial solutions, power and energy, transportation and logistics, BPO, tea exports, projects and engineering, and investments and services. Hayleys comprises over 180 business units and subsidiaries, twelve of which are publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Hayleys PLC is a public listed company with over 15,147 shareholders as of March 31, 2024. In addition to Sri Lanka, Hayleys today has manufacturing facilities in Indonesia,Thailand and India, with marketing operations in Australia, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK, USA, France, Poland and Kenya, and its products are sold in 80 countries.
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, commonly known as CEYPETCO (CPC), is a Sri Lankan oil and gas company. Established in 1962 and wholly owned by the Government of Sri Lanka, it is the largest oil company in Sri Lanka. It was formed in 1961 by nationalisation and expropriation of all private oil companies in Sri Lanka at the time of its formation. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development headquartered in Colombo. It is the largest government owned company in the country, with an operational profit of Rs. 33.9 billion for the financial year 2020.
Nalaka Godahewa, MP is a Sri Lankan politician, former Cabinet Minister, and former corporate executive. He served as the Minister of Mass Media from 18 April 2022 until his resignation on 9 May 2022. Prior to that he was the State Minister Urban Development since August 2020 In addition to this, he is a member of parliament for the Gampaha District. He had served as the Chairman, Securities Exchange Commission ; Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism (2010–2012); and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Insurance (2006–2009).
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Carmudi is an online car site that focuses on emerging markets. The portal was launched in 2013 and is owned by Rocket Internet.
Beer has been brewed in Sri Lanka from five hundreds of years. In the 19th century, the British introduced British beer to Ceylon. The most popular beers in Sri Lanka are Lager-style beer.
Sri Lanka has a climate and varied elevation that allows for the production of both Camellia sinensis var. assamica and Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, with the assamica varietal holding the majority of production. Tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka, and accounts for 2% of GDP, contributing over US$1.3 billion in 2021 to the economy of Sri Lanka. It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. In addition, tea planting by smallholders is the source of employment for thousands whilst it is also the main form of livelihood for tens of thousands of families. Sri Lanka is the world's fourth-largest producer of tea. In 1995, it was the world's leading exporter of tea, with 23% of the total world export, and Sri Lanka ranked second on tea export earnings in 2020 after China. The highest production of 340 million kg was recorded in 2013, while the production in 2014 was slightly reduced to 338 million kg. India has additionally guaranteed Sri Lanka a shipment of 65,000 metric tons of urea. Sri Lanka's troubled execution of an organic agriculture initiative had pushed the country perilously close to an agricultural crisis. Given the surge in global fertilizer prices, it is improbable that Sri Lanka could procure fertilizer at prevailing market rates.
E-commerce in Bangladesh refers to the electronic commerce sector of Bangladesh business.
Access Engineering PLC is a Sri Lankan civil engineering company engaged in the construction industry and supply of construction-related services and materials. The company is one of the constituents of the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index. The company was founded in 2001, and in 2012 was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. In 2019, for the third consecutive year, the company was named amongst the ten "Best Corporate Citizens in the Country" by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Currently, the company is constructing the largest condominium in Sri Lanka, with 1,068 units. Following the news that the Cabinet of Sri Lanka had granted the LKR 9.34 billion housing project in Elliot Road, Borella, the company's share price rose by five-fold.