Kandy’s niche for motor vehicles

Kandy has made a niche for itself in marketing motor vehicles, so much so that it has the most demand for motor vehicles, according to industry stakeholders.

“Such as Kurunegala being famous for motors cycles, Kandy is synonymous with motor vehicles,” a senior manager at a car sales outlet said. He pointed out that more than 20 prospective clients from Colombo visit each of Kandy’s numerous auto outlets on an average daily. “Almost all buy a vehicle, so our sales are very high,” he added.M.D. Chandrasena, Secretary Mahanuwara Sinhala Welanda Peramuna, an association of traders in Kandy noted that this trend of people from Colombo buying vehicles in Kandy has somewhat to do with them believing that ‘it is lucky to buy a vehicle from Kandy.’

“It is also to do with the fact that Kandy is a one-stop shop – that is it has showrooms from different vendors together with leasing and hire purchase facilities literally situated side by side at Katugastota Road,” he explained.

Karunathilake said the market is growing at a satisfactory rate, despite the economic downs the country is experiencing. Arjuna Wilbawa, Head of Branch Lanka Orix Securities (Pvt) Ltd in Kandy said that according to statistics, nearly 23 percent of new vehicles from the entire country come to Kandy. “Many leading motor traders such as Wheels Lanka and Indra Traders started their businesses in the hill capital,” he added.