Global GIS (Pvt) Ltd, the pioneer of geospatial positioning solutions in Sri Lanka, celebrated its 12th year of successful operations with the grand opening of its new spacious 3-story head office building at 6th Lane, Pagoda Road, Nugegoda. The grand opening was followed by a series of religious events held at the new premises.

“As the pioneer in geospatial solutions in Sri Lanka, we are delighted to be celebrating this significant milestone in our journey by relocating to a more spacious premises warranted by the growth that we have been experiencing over the years. Furthermore, we have designed the new head office premises to add more value to our customers in terms of training, capacity building, and product demonstrations with a state-of-the-art auditorium,” stated Nishshanka De Silva, Registered Licensed Surveyor, Managing Director – Global GIS (Pvt) Ltd.

“This milestone serves as a testament to our dedication to innovation, leadership, and excellence. With our experience, our team of dedicated staff, and with the support of our long-standing partners, we are committed to providing our expertise in line with international best practices in the geospatial services industry,” he added.

“Global GIS operates a high-precision CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) network that covers Sri Lanka, with strategically positioned GPS/GNSS receivers providing users with high-accuracy positioning data in real time”.

For merchants:UPI provides access to a large, digitally savvy customer base, improves cash management, reduces dependence on physical currency and enhances operational efficiency

For travellers:UPI offers the convenience of real-time payments, transparent exchange rates, and a familiar, secure payment experience

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding Unified Payments Interface (UPI) merchant acceptance in Sri Lanka. The initiative aims to enhance cross-border payment experiences for Indian tourists, support Sri Lanka’s growing digital economy, and further strengthen the deep economic and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka.

UPI, India’s real-time, account-to-account payment system, enables instant and secure transactions through mobile applications. Processing over 20 billion financial transactions monthly, it has emerged as one of the world’s most advanced digital payment infrastructures. With over 700 million UPI QR- touch points across India, its open, interoperable architecture and strong security framework allows it to integrate seamlessly with international payment ecosystems, including Sri Lanka’s LankaQR infrastructure.

India has consistently remained Sri Lanka’s leading source for tourism. Over 4,16,000 Indian tourists visited the island in 2024, and this number grew to 5,31,000 in 2025, accounting for the highest share of total international arrivals. With this year-on-year growth, the need for seamless and reliable payment solutions has become even more crucial. Indian visitors travel to Sri Lanka for leisure, weddings, shopping, and spiritual tourism, highlighting the importance of smooth, secure, and convenient payment options throughout their journey.

Through the collaboration between NPCI International and LankaPay, Indian tourists can make digital payments across Sri Lanka by simply scanning LankaQR using their preferred UPI-enabled mobile applications, minimising the need to carry or exchange physical cash. UPI payments are now enabled at leading establishments including Cinnamon Hotels, Taj Hotels, Barista, Keells Supermarket and Odel, amongst others.To support this growing corridor, NIPL has been actively engaging with key stakeholders in Sri Lanka, including the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, acquiring banks, and key merchants, to scale UPI acceptance in line with Sri Lanka’s domestic payment framework.

This integration has significant advantages for both merchants and customers. For travellers, UPI offers the convenience of real-time payments directly from their Indian bank accounts, transparent exchange rates, and a familiar, secure payment experience. For Sri Lankan merchants, it provides access to a large, digitally savvy customer base, improved cash management, and reduced reliance on physical currency, driving greater operational efficiency.

Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO, NPCI International, said, “NPCI International is committed to building trusted, interoperable payment corridors that bring countries closer through technology. Our engagement in Sri Lanka reflects a shared vision to enhance digital payment acceptance, simplify travel and commerce for millions of people, and create value for local businesses and the wider economy. Through our partnership with LankaPay, we are advancing seamless, secure, and real-time transactions that strengthens the economic partnership between India and Sri Lanka.”

As UPI adoption progresses, NIPL will continue working closely with Sri Lankan regulators, ecosystem players, and merchants to extend acceptance across high-frequency sectors such as hospitality, retail, tourism, and essential services. Recognized by the IMF as the world’s largest real-time payment system, powering 49% of global instant payments, UPI presents a significant opportunity for Sri Lankan merchant to elevate the travel experience for Indian visitors, boosting economic activity and enhancing cross-border commerce between the two nations.

Celeste, one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated lifestyle brands, marked a defining milestone in its journey by announcing a landmark equity partnership with the country’s iconic music duo BNS. The announcement capped an evening that celebrated six years of growth, community, and the authentic connections that have come to define the Celeste brand today.

Designed as a customer-first celebration, the one-of-a-kind event brought together over 1,000 carefully selected guests from Celeste’s base of more than 135,000 customers, recognising those who have consistently engaged with the brand through loyalty, frequency, and long-standing interaction. The evening gave corporate clients and long-standing patrons the opportunity to interact directly with Celeste’s leadership while reflecting on the brand’s journey, the customer experience it continues to build, and its future ambitions.

During the event, Celeste formally announced an equity partnership with the iconic Sri Lankan music duo Bathiya and Santhush, widely known as BNS. Known for their groundbreaking influence on Sri Lankan music and their ability to connect with audiences across generations, Bathiya and Santhush bring both cultural star power as well as strategic business and entrepreneurial insight to the partnership.