USJ’s Veenath Indrajith receives IPS research grant for study on used vehicle investments

Veenath Indrajith

Veenath Indrajith, a fourth-year undergraduate at the Business Economics Department of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), has been awarded the 2026 Saman Kelegama Memorial Research Grant, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) announced. 

Indrajith was selected for his proposed study examining the use of Sri Lanka’s second-hand vehicle market as an alternative investment avenue for households and small-scale vehicle traders.

The research titled ‘Small Vehicle Businesses and Household Investors Using the Second-Hand Car Market as an Alternative Investment Method in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka’ will adopt a qualitative approach to explore investor motivations, experiences, perceived returns and risks associated with investing in used vehicles.

The study aims to provide insights into household investment behaviour and decision-making in a segment of Sri Lanka’s alternative investment landscape that has received limited academic attention. The findings are expected to contribute to policy discussions on financial literacy, household investment strategies and development and regulation of alternative investment markets. 

Indrajith’s academic interests include economics, finance, investment and policy-oriented research. Alongside his undergraduate studies, he is pursuing the Chartered Accountancy qualification in Sri Lanka.

The Saman Kelegama Memorial Research Grant was established in 2018, in honour of the late Dr. Saman Kelegama, the former Executive Director of the IPS, whose work played a significant role in shaping public policy discourse on socioeconomic development in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

Awarded annually to an outstanding undergraduate from a Sri Lankan university, the grant seeks to encourage innovative and policy-relevant research while supporting the development of future policy researchers.

As part of the award, Indrajith will receive training and mentorship from senior IPS researchers to complete the study.