PETALING JAYA: Proton recently hosted representatives from David Pieris Holdings (Pte) Ltd (DPHL), one of Sri Lanka’s largest diversified conglomerates, at the company’s Centre of Excellence.
The event culminated with the signing of a distributorship agreement between Proton and DPHL for the latter to distribute and start retailing Proton e.MAS models in Sri Lanka.
The Proton business will be anchored by David Pieris Automobiles (Pte) Ltd (DPAL) and draw upon the group’s combined resources and experience in Sri Lanka’s automotive sector to grow sales and serve customers in the country.
Proton sales in Sri Lanka stand to benefit from the in-house financial services and logistics provided by other subsidiaries within DPHL.
“Proton International Corporation is pleased to have signed a distributorship agreement with David Pieris Holdings as we believe they are the right partner to grow our presence in Sri Lanka. With their extensive resources and years of automotive experience, our ultimate ambition is for Proton to become the leading NEV brand in the country,” said Proton International Corporation CEO Edmund Lim Meng Thong.
Despite having just been established in 2024, Proton’s e.MAS brand has been a catalyst for the company’s export activities over the last two years. Currently, there are four export markets with e.MAS products, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius and most recently Nepal, with Brunei expected to join the list soon. For Sri Lanka, sales under DPHL are targeted to begin later this year with the launch of Proton e.MAS models.
Proton e.MAS is the leading NEV brand in Malaysia with a combined 21,808 units sold in domestic and export markets during the first seven months of 2026. Cumulatively, the brand recently surpassed 30,000 units since it launched its first model, the Proton e.MAS 7 in December 2024.
“The launch of Proton e.MAS has paved the way towards better market penetration for Proton International Corporation. For some markets, our NEV vehicles are the only models sold to carry the Proton brand while in markets that also have ICE offerings, our distributors are able to offer a more holistic mobility solution to their customers,” said Lim.