A Sri Lankan IT expert turned entrepreneur in Russia has stepped in to assist local small, medium and micro industrialists who have not been exposed to the outside world. Dr. Jagath Chandrawansa, Chairman Ongo Group of companies based in Russia, told the Business Times, “ee will be helping our small, medium and micro industrialists, to [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Lankan IT expert-turned entrepreneur in Russia helps local industrialists

By Bandula Sirimanna
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A Sri Lankan IT expert turned entrepreneur in Russia has stepped in to assist local small, medium and micro industrialists who have not been exposed to the outside world.

Dr. Jagath Chandrawansa, Chairman Ongo Group of companies based in Russia, told the Business Times, “ee will be helping our small, medium and micro industrialists, to market their products and to develop export markets.”

Mr Chandrawansa who graduated in Russia, has an MSc in Information Technology. He migrated to Russia in 1996 on a scholarship to Georgia Technical Institute, while studying at the Moratuwa University.

He noted that his company Ongo Trading LLC will create awareness on how to turn out products attractive for Russia, the Middle East, China and India, as most of the European countries and the United States are facing economic problems.

As a major initiative towards this end, one of his companies Ongo Event Management LLC is organising the Sri Lankan pavilion at the Dubai Global Village – International Trade Fair from 21st October 2012 to March 30, 2013, he revealed.

Forty-five countries will take part in the event which is expected to attract over two million people. Around 30 Sri Lankan companies including those from the North and East are expected to take part and they will display tea, ayurvedic medicinal products, handloom textiles, traditional handicrafts, food items etc at the Dubai Global Village.

“The Sri Lankan pavilion will not only promote exports from the island, but also project our image,” Dr. Chandrawansa said adding that it will depict Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth relic in Kandy).

Sri Lanka and other participating countries will be given an opportunity to display their culture and heritage through exhibitions of traditional handicrafts, clothing, music and dance.

Dr. Chandrawansa emphasised the need to develop brands unique to Sri Lanka apart from introducing more value addition to make Sri Lanka’s tea industry the highest and most viable foreign income generating sector. He pointed out that a national policy should be introduced for the tea industry covering all its aspects from tea planting, producing, packaging, and marketing to exporting.

“If we are to get the maximum benefits from exporting tea and bring more foreign exchange to the country, we have to go for our own brands rather than depending on international brands” he said.

He has over 18 years’ experience in the tea exports sector specially to Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States better known as CIS.

Within his decade of involvement in the tea industry, Mr Chandrawansa has created brands such as Leoste Teas which are fast selling in the international market.

He said his company has developed a new range of exclusive products catering to Russian and CIS markets.

“In fact, we were the first to export green tea on a large scale in a branded consumer packet to these markets,” he added “During the last decade, we were able to enter countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Moldovia, Lithuania and Kazakhstan,” he said.




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