Diesel and Motor Engineering Company (Dimo) is gearing to start a car assembly outside Colombo to assemble cars and export to South Asia, according to Dimo sources.

"Dimo is planning to do this by early next year in the 17.5 acre land they bought about a year ago," one source told The Sunday Times FT. He said the company is looking to export cars to Pakistan initially. "There is a market there as Pakistan does not seem to like Indian branded automobiles," he said.

The company recently appointed cricketer Kumar Sangakkara as its corporate brand ambassador for the coming three years.