Business
MIWAYZ redefines Sri Lankan urban mobility with landmark launch
Miwayz, Sri Lanka’s newest and most anticipated lifestyle and smart mobility platform, has officially announced its grand launch.
Signaling a major shift in the country’s ride-hailing and delivery ecosystem. the platform went live from Sunday, 12th July with an unprecedented milestone: securing a trusted community of 25,000+, eagerly awaiting passengers within an incredibly short pre-launch window.
For Sri Lankan consumers who have long sought greater transparency and safety, and for drivers seeking fair compensation, Miwayz enters the market not just as an app, but as a community-driven answer to modern commuter challenges.
Facing the Realities of the Road: Addressing Driver Pain Points
For years, the backbone of Sri Lanka’s urban transport—its hardworking three-wheeler and motorcycle drivers—has operated under immense financial strain. Traditional ride-hailing industry have long extracted predatory commission rates ranging from 15% to 25% on every single ride, severely squeezing driver take-home pay. Coupled with highly unpredictable daily incomes and skyrocketing vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, drivers have increasingly felt reduced to mere transactional numbers on a screen.
To address these pain points directly, Miwayz has introduced a highly disruptive, driver-centric economic model:
- 0% Commission & Zero Subscription Fees: Registered driver-partners will enjoy 0% commission cuts and zero-value subscription fees for their first three months of operation, allowing them to take home 100% of their hard-earned fares.
- The Industry’s Lowest Flat Subscription: Post-launch promotional period, Miwayz will transition drivers to the industry’s lowest flat rate daily/monthly subscription model, completely eliminating percentage-based commission structures. This ensures predictable operational costs and maximized income stability.
Tapping into a Massive Market
The launch of Miwayz arrives at a critical juncture for Sri Lanka’s massive urban transport market. According to the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority (RPTA), there are currently over 250,000 registered three-wheelers operating as active passenger transport services in the Western Province alone.
Furthermore, latest vehicle population statistics from the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) reveal that Sri Lanka has over 1.20 million motor tricycles (three-wheelers) and more than 5.17 million motorcycles (bikes) registered nationwide.
By positioning itself as a fair-play platform for this immense pool of micro-entrepreneurs, Miwayz is set to capture a dominant share of the daily commuting market, starting in Colombo and rapidly expanding across the province.
A Foundation Built on Mutual Trust
In a market where trust is the ultimate currency, Miwayz’s rapid acquisition of a combined 25,000+ strong pre-registered base represents a significant vote of confidence from local users.
“We did not want to launch with just an app and a hope; we wanted to launch with a community that believed in our vision from day one,” said the CEO of Miwayz, Nalliah Thayaparan. “To have over 25K trusted driver partners and passengers in our ecosystem before our official launch is the ultimate validation. It proves that Sri Lankans are ready for a platform built on mutual respect, honesty, and fair value.”
Going Beyond the Usual: The Miwayz Promise
Miwayz is engineered specifically to address the daily pain points of Sri Lankan commuters and drivers through three core pillars:
- Total Price Transparency & Best Fair Rates: Passengers will benefit from upfront, highly reliable fare estimates with zero hidden costs, unexpected surges, or predatory price hikes. Miwayz guarantees the best, standard distance-to-fare ratios in the market, ensuring complete peace of mind.
- Uncompromising Safety: To protect both riders and driver-partners, Miwayz features strictly verified profiles, real-time live trip tracking, and a dedicated 24/7 localized support team ready to assist at any moment.
- Everyday Convenience & Passenger Perks: Designed as an all-in-one lifestyle companion, the platform integrates seamless ride-hailing options with everyday essentials, including the upcoming rollout of Miwayz Food featuring local culinary favorites. To celebrate the launch, passengers will receive an exclusive 50% discount on their first 5 rides during the first three months of operation.
Strategic Powerhouse Collaboration with Dialog Axiata
To enhance the overall mobility experience for both passengers and driver-partners, MiWayz has entered into a strategic partnership with Dialog Touch, Sri Lanka’s leading fleet and fuel management platform. The collaboration introduces innovative payment and rewards capabilities that deliver greater convenience to riders while creating tangible value for driver-partners.
Through this partnership, Dialog Touch users can now seamlessly use their Touch Card as a payment method within the MiWayz app, enabling a fast, secure, and cashless payment experience for every journey. In addition, MiWayz driver-partners will benefit from fuel vouchers powered through the Dialog Touch platform, a first-of-its-kind rewards initiative introduced by Touch to recognize and support drivers with meaningful savings on fuel expenses.
Long-Term Support Alliance with TVS
To match its digital strength with on-the-ground sustainability, MiWayz has secured a pivotal strategic partnership with TVS. Focused entirely on providing long-term operational support to the platform’s growing driver-partner community, TVS is introducing immediate, tangible cost-saving benefits on the road. Under this landmark alliance, registered MiWayz driver-partners will gain exclusive access to:
- Exclusive Discounts on Spare Parts: Deep cost reductions on essential vehicular components to reduce overall maintenance costs.
- Specialized Vehicle Services: Tailored, high-priority maintenance and repair services at TVS Own Service Centers
- Valuable Vehicle Trade-In Offers: Highly attractive trade-in opportunities allowing drivers to upgrade their vehicles easily and sustainably.
Representing the alliance, Geethal Anthony, CEO – TVS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd remarked, “We are incredibly proud to partner with MiWayz on this journey of sustainable urban empowerment. At TVS, we believe that true market innovation comes from putting tangible value back into the hands of the community. By providing long-term support structures—specifically through exclusive discounts on spare parts, specialized services, and accessible trade-in options—we are ensuring that driver-partners can significantly lower their operational overheads. This partnership sets a new benchmark for shared economic growth and corporate responsibility in Sri Lanka’s mobility landscape.”
Investing Directly in People: The Direct Reinvestment Model
In a progressive move, Miwayz is channeling its core resources directly into the pockets of its users and partners through a long-term Direct Reinvestment Model.
Rather than focusing on short-term market noise, the company is redirecting its operational capital to create sustained, long-term value additions:
- For Driver-Partners: Enhanced welfare programs, sustainable financial incentives, and long-term professional development pathways that elevate their livelihoods alongside TVS’s operational discounts.
- For Passengers: Consistent loyalty rewards, highly competitive daily pricing structures, and community-driven promotions that provide tangible economic relief in their daily travel budgets.
“We believe the best way to grow is not by plastering billboards, but by enriching the lives of the people who use our platform,” the CEO added. “By investing directly in our drivers and passengers, we are building a sustainable, loyal ecosystem that benefits Sri Lanka for the long haul.”
Availability
The Miwayz passenger and driver applications are now officially available for download on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Commuters and drivers across Sri Lanka are invited to download the app today to experience mobility and lifestyle convenience their way.
About Miwayz
Miwayz is a next-generation, community-first lifestyle and smart mobility platform based in Sri Lanka. Committed to elevating the urban travel experience, Miwayz combines advanced ride-hailing technology, transparent pricing, robust safety standards, and merchant delivery ecosystems to create a fairer, more efficient way for communities to connect, move, and thrive.


Business
India-Sri Lanka Foundation’s 41st meeting signals a new era of integration
By Sanath Nanayakkare
On the surface, the 41st Board Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation (ISLF) in New Delhi on August 28, 2026, was structured as a routine diplomatic engagement. Co-chaired by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne, the session formally approved a standard slate of cultural and educational projects.
However, looking closer at the broader macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, the meeting underscored a much deeper structural alignment between the two nations. Against a backdrop of ongoing economic recovery, bilateral discussions increasingly touch upon critical areas of regional integration, investment, and infrastructure.
Among the key areas attracting attention are post-civil war reconciliation efforts and administrative milestones in the Northern Province.
Discussions in diplomatic circles continue to focus on the progressive release of state-held lands back to civilian inhabitants, alongside the anticipated finalization of provincial council elections to support local governance frameworks.
In the economic sphere, commercial integration remains a central theme as Sri Lanka stabilizes its foreign exchange reserves.
Recent financial dialogues in Colombo were seen exploring mechanisms such as transacting in Indian Rupees (INR), aligning with wider regional efforts to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and mitigate foreign currency pressures. Financial institutions, including the State Bank of India, continue to support these bilateral trade facilitation mechanisms.
Cooperation in the energy sector is also progressing through key joint ventures aimed at harnessing renewable resources. Proposals such as the 200MW solar power project in Sampur, developed via a partnership between NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board, highlight ongoing efforts to diversify national power generation. Discussions concerning cross-border grid interconnections further reflect strategies to enhance regional energy security and optimize renewable capacity.
At the same time, ongoing reviews of project tariffs – such as those involving renewable initiatives by firms like Adani Green Energy – demonstrate the government’s focus on balancing capital investments with domestic economic interests.
As the ISLF marks decades of supporting bilateral cultural exchanges through hundreds of initiatives, the overarching partnership between New Delhi and Colombo continues to evolve. Navigating these complex frameworks of trade, energy, and development remains essential as Sri Lanka charts its economic future within the South Asian region.
Business
Sysco LABS named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces for 2026
Sysco LABS, the Global Innovation Center of Sysco, has been named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces at the Women-Friendly Workplace Awards 2026, marking its highest recognition at the awards to date.
The recognition represents an important milestone in Sysco LABS’ ongoing journey to build a workplace where women are supported not only to enter and participate in the technology industry, but to develop, progress and build meaningful long-term careers.
Held recently, the 2026 awards organized by Satynmag continued a six-year journey of recognizing and encouraging organizations to move beyond intention towards meaningful and measurable progress for women at work. This year’s awards placed particular emphasis on a defining question for women-friendly workplaces: beyond representation, how far are women able to go?
This win also reflects a progression in the company’s recognition journey at the Women Friendly Workplaces Awards. Following an “Honorable Mention” in the 2023 edition of the ceremony while winning a special award for “Best Women in STEM Project” in 2025, 2026 marks the first time Sysco LABS has been recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces.
Business
CCPI-based headline inflation accelerates in August 2026
The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2021=100) based headline inflation (year-on-year, Y-o-Y) increased to 8.0% in August 2026 from 7.3% in July 2026, primarily due to the statistical base effect in food inflation. Meanwhile, food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 8.5% in August 2026 from 6.3% in July 2026, contributing mainly to the increase in headline inflation, while non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) decelerated to 7.7% in August 2026 from 7.8% in July 2026.
On a month-on-month basis, the CCPI increased by 0.28% in August 2026. This increase was mainly driven by the food category, which contributed 0.20 percentage point, largely owing to the increase in prices of Milk Powder, while the non-food category contributed a marginal 0.07 percentage point.
Meanwhile, core inflation (Y-o-Y) accelerated to 5.1% in August 2026 from 4.4% in July 2026.
According to the inflation projections made at the monetary policy round in July 2026, headline inflation is expected to remain above the target of 5% in the near term, before easing and stabilising around the target over the medium term, supported by appropriate policy measures. These projections are conditional, among other assumptions, on the expectation that the effects of the tensions in the Middle East and their spillovers will be temporary and gradually dissipate.
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