World’s leading thread business

Coats plc, the world’s leading industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, is a key player in Sri Lanka’s economic development, through the island’s apparel sector.

Coats, a global business at home in more than 70 countries, works closely with local communities and cultures in domestic markets all over the world. In Sri Lanka, Coats is as much a part of the island’s small sewing operations and day-to-day thread needs of local people as it is of the multi-billion dollar apparel industry. A little known fact is that Coats has extended its support to the development of the low-tech SME sector of handloom textiles.
The small village of Divulapitiya on the outskirts of Gampaha is home to a unique handloom cottage industry led by a group of talented artisans. They have pioneered the use of common machine thread for handloom weaving, instead of the usual thick cotton yarn. This has given rise to a new breed of hand-woven textiles that are finer in texture and lighter in weight. In 2011, Coats joined with AOD international design campus on its ‘Design for Sustainable Development (DFSD)’ initiative which empowers traditional artisans with contemporary designs, to help develop and grow the Divulapitiya handloom industry.
Coats has a close relationship with the community, and is the official thread provider to the artisans, giving them access to the company’s extensive range of thread colours and shades. This joint venture with AOD/DFSD also now receives government support through the Ministry of Economic Development’s ‘Liya Abhiman’ project that empowers small-scale female entrepreneurship.
This is a unique relationship between a large international brand and a small artisan community in Sri Lanka. Coats is a firm supporter of strengthening smaller businesses, parallel with its relationships at global levels in industries like apparel. AOD’s efforts to infuse design into traditional handloom weaving, has enabled Coats to start working with emerging fashion entrepreneurs like Nithya to use recycled and speciality threads to create cutting-edge fashion with local handlooms in Divulapitiya.

Coats Lanka Ltd Managing Director Douglas Aceiro said: “As a global leader in supplying the fashion industry, we know the value of design and innovation. Across our operational foot print, we continue to look for opportunities to merge our thread technology with design and fashion. With the help of young AOD fashion graduates like Nithya we have been able to connect our products with the ancient technique of Sri Lankan handloom weaving. Last year, together with Nithya, we created a collection of glow-in-the-dark handlooms which really shook the local fashion scene and won much international praise at Sri Lanka Design Festival 2013. The recognition for this effort is heartening and we will continue to support this initiative producing unique creations in Sri Lanka using our products.”
Coats’ commitment to technology and innovation is demonstrated by Coats Colour Express winning ‘Game Changer Through Innovation Award’ at the inaugural Sri Lanka Fashion and Apparel Awards 2013.
Globally, Coats invests heavily in research, development and product innovation and also supports sharing knowledge and creative education. Coats Sri Lanka reflects this vision by sharing its capabilities and strengths with the developing SME sector in Sri Lanka. By working hand in hand with the young design talent of AOD, Sri Lanka Design Festival and the Ministry of Economic Development’s ‘Liya Abhiman’ project, Coats is supporting a constructive public-private partnership model that also sets an example for other companies to adopt a sustainable CR strategy that benefits local people, business partners and community groups.
Coats is proud to provide specialty yarn of varying colours, texture and thickness to Divulapitiya artisans. Together with AOD’s DFSD design team everyone works together to produce brand new collections of fashion, textiles, wraps and resort wear using Coats thread. These fantastic collections will be showcased at the Sri Lanka Design Festival’s 2014 fashion edition this December.
Coats is the official Thread  & Zip partner for Sri Lanka Design Festival 2014 held between 5 to 7 December at SLECC, Colombo.

• Targets to be a $ 100m business by 2020

By Sarah Hannan
Keith Harding has been working for the textile and apparel industry for the past four decades and was appointed as the CEO of Foundation Garments Ltd. on 3 November.
Harding’s career started in the supply line at Marks and Spencer in UK. After 16 years of working in his home country, Harding moved to Bangladesh on work and then had the opportunity to work in China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Egypt and Cambodia.
Sharing his work experience and learnings from his work out of the UK, Harding stated that it was a culture shock to work in Asia.
“Starting to work in Bangladesh was the first time I had been out of UK on work. At the time it was a hard place to work and staying healthy was difficult. But that was a great learning curve. The country didn’t have a big industry but at present it is an emerging market.”
When Harding moved to China, the country was rapidly developing and it was a good time for the apparel industry. But he noted that now the expats are driving out of China because of the reducing jobs.
While he was working for the company in China, Harding was able to coordinate with factories in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia. He served a short spell in Egypt before re-joining the company he worked for 12 years ago and before joining Foundation Garments Harding served in Cambodia for a year.
Foundation Garments is no new place for Harding as they were suppliers for one of the companies he had worked previously. “I had a good relationship with the Jinadasa Group and I was in touch with the now Director’s (Dilanka Jinadasa) father. However, I am the only foreigner working for the group at present.”
Foundation Garments is a cost-benefit company which runs medium sized factories in the Colombo District. The employees of the company live in or around the neighbouring towns so the company does not have to bear a huge cost on their transportation.
“Instead, we ensure they get a better pay package and incentives. Coming from an industrial family background I understand how important it is to earn a better wage and be able to provide for the family. To run a profitable business it is important to have a happy workforce,” Harding reiterated.

While the company’s core products are underwear and sleepwear, they are also looking into expanding their product range to intimate-wear and swimwear. “Our target is to become a $ 100 million business within the next five years. Speed to market is increasing and we are using the dry dying technique. While Sri Lanka will be the core of the business, in future we might expand to Cambodia and Ethiopia. It is more important that the verticality is improving.”
The company is also looking at future acquisitions and maintaining their medium sized factories they are looking at ways to increase productivity. According to Harding, the company has achieved a Y-o-Y turnover of 19% from Jan-Aug which spreads evenly across the year.
Harding’s take on apparel industry in Sri Lanka Comparison

• Sri Lankans are easy to manage. China on the other hand has a demanding workforce who constantly requests for salary increments and the labour turnover is at 120%. Bangladesh at the time was less militant. But now they are becoming more militant. Sri Lanka absenteeism is not bad and the labour turnover is 50%.

• Factories have high expertise and the skilled labour force has increased with the knowledge share and increase of education modules on the apparel and textile sector. We also see that Sri Lankans are sent on secondments due to their expertise to factories out of the country.

• With the improvement of the textile sector, we can purchase fabric in Sri Lanka itself and the speed to market is increasing in return.

• Sri Lanka is strategically positioned to supply for emerging markets such as China, Russia and India. On Government concessions

• Sri Lanka is a politically stable country and the GSP has not affected the growth rate as we have reached 20%.

• The 2015 Budget is in favour of the apparel industry. 2% increase on EPF. As you know energy is one of the key costs that we have to bear and the 15% reduction on electricity helps to bring down the cost.

• Dissolved duty in used machinery encourages the garment owners to purchase new machinery. China Free Trade Agreement

• The Free Trade Agreement between China and Sri Lanka will have a positive impact as major brands are opening up shops in China.

• The middle class now have a lot of funds to spend and will help Sri Lanka in return. Threats

• Ethiopia is an emerging market and China is investing in Ethiopia since the country is the largest cotton producer in the world. Once the AGOA comes in to place Ethiopia will become a competitive supplier.

• As the Colombo City expands, more job opening will be available in other sectors with attractive wages. We will have a threat of losing our workforce.

• Technology is evolving at a fast phase and it is too costly to purchase 3D printing machines but once the buying power increases, the labour force will get replaced by these machines.

• Established in 1976 as a family business, Foundation Garments is the core business of Jinadasa Holdings and started its first production plant with just 30 machines. Today, the company has grown to manufacture over one million pieces of clothing monthly in six strategically-located production plants.

Evolving into an international conglomerate with ties to John Stuart Bennet USA and Marsylka Manufacturing UK, it provides a global tailor-made solution to any sourcing requirement.

The Taiwan textile industry is the acknowledged world leader in research, development and manufacturing of fabric and garment accessories. The highly successful Taiwan Textile Fairs brings together leading suppliers of textiles and related products from Taiwan, one of the world’s largest apparel textiles exporting countries to Sri Lanka, at the Taiwan Textiles Fairs in South Asia 2014.

The fairs will showcase innovative and high performance functional textiles for apparel, bags, shoes, rainwear, etc. to Sri Lankan manufacturers. The fair will be held on 24 and 25 November at the Grand Crystal Ballroom of the Taj Samudra Hotel.
The Taiwan Textile Fairs in South Asia 2014 is an excellent opportunity for Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers, exporters, brand-owners, buying houses, buying agents, big retailers, importers, etc. to interact with manufacturers from Taiwan to source superior fabrics and textile auxiliaries that will add more value to their product range. The fairs will also introduce Sri Lankan manufacturers to new product categories to cater to growing demand in the domestic and export market.
The Sri Lanka apparel industry is set for strong growth on the back of continued positive growth in the economy, with it recording 7.8% growth year-on-year in the second quarter. The apparel industry, which makes up 15.9% of the economy’s total revenue, is on track to achieve the export target of US $ 5 billion by 2016 buoyed by rising export demand. Bilateral trade between Taiwan and Sri Lanka has increased over the years and the organisers believe that Sri Lanka has a strong demographic dividend. With South Asia predicted to become the largest textile and apparel producer, Taiwan is looking for stronger bilateral trade and co-operation with Sri Lanka.
Taiwan Textile Fairs in South Asia are organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) and Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) in association with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and represented in South Asia by Worldex India Exhibition and Promotion Ltd.
The event is supported by leading textile associations of Sri Lanka such as the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) and the Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association (SLASA).
The fairs will showcase a wide range of high performance and innovative textile products from knitted fabrics, functional fabrics, woven fabrics, polyester fabrics, Raschel, Jacquardtronic and Textronic laces, textile uxiliaries, leather auxiliaries, nature industrial cleaner, heat transfer label, reflective transfer label, active-casual fabric, texture fabric, double knit fleece fabric, laminated fabrics for shoe, bags, tents, rainwear, etc.
Taiwan Textile Fairs in South Asia 2013 was very successful, seeing over 300 buyers in just two days with concrete business ventures and collaborations taking place between exhibitors and buyers. Sean Tsai from the Overseas Market Development Department, remarked: “This year we are bringing special 100% waterproof nylon targeting the rainwear market: rain coat, tent roof, etc. as Sri Lanka faces heavy rains during the monsoons and there is a good opportunity for Taiwanese manufacturers to showcase their products in this sector.”
Log on to: www.ttf.worldexindia.com for more information about the fairs.

Sri Lanka’s largest online marketplace, ikman.lk announced recently that it has always had stringent measures to ensure the safety and authenticity of all advertisements posted on its website.
Online marketplaces all over the world have given rise to fraudulent ads with the intention of deceiving potential buyers. Given the possible dangers of such ads, ikman.lk has proactively implemented a comprehensive method of detecting such ads. The process involves carrying out a survey of all posted advertisements on a monthly basis by a dedicated and experienced team trained and equipped to identify any misgivings. User feedback and other internal monitoring systems are also used to detect such ads, ensuring that each user has a high quality user experience every time they visit ikman.lk.
Complimenting this process, a 35-member ikman.lk customer service team works 24/7 to screen every ad which is posted on ikman.lk before the ad goes live on the site. Customer service agents follow a standard set of guidelines when screening an advertisement which includes ensuring the validity of phone numbers, making sure the current posting is not a duplicate of a previously posted advertisement, unrealistic pricing detection, ensuring the location of the item is in Sri Lanka and posted in the correct category with an accurate description and inclusion of all required information.
ikman.lk Director of Marketing and Sales Stefan Beekmeyer advises users to educate themselves on online safety.
“We urge users to follow simple steps to protect themselves. For instance, we propose keeping things simple by meeting the seller in person, checking the item and making sure you are satisfied with it before you make a payment, exchanging the item and making the payment at the same time, avoiding anything that appears too good to be true such as unrealistic pricing and promises of quick money and not declaring financial information such as bank account details or any other information that could be misused,” he said.
He further stressed that customers who suspect an item to be posted by a possible fraudster are encouraged to report it to ikman.lk using the ‘Report Ad’ icon located at the bottom of an ad.

Digital Marketing is the way forward for businesses to thrive in the global market be it small business enterprises or large corporates. Customers of today expect instant information and prefer social media sites and forums to get information regarding products and services. Digital Marketing taps into this modern trend by promoting businesses and services via digital means such as the internet, mobile phones and social media sites. To learn, understand and use digital marketing is the best tool for a marketer nowadays.
It is to pass on this knowledge that the two day boot camp workshop has been organised by a prominent corporate training institution in Sri Lanka, Epitom Training, the training wing of Epitom Consulting a leading consultancy firm in Sri Lanka in association with eBusiness Academy, which is one of the pioneers in the South Asian region for Internet Marketing education. Originally held back in 2012 this second repeat workshop is being held this year, due to popular demand.
“The scope of digital marketing is immense and the smart marketer who truly comprehends the multi-channel nature and utilises each channel effectively will be ahead of the game,” said Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, Founder of Epitom Consulting and Epitom Training.
The workshop will cover a whole scope of subjects relating to digital marketing along with methods and hands-on techniques that will assist companies with achieving their online potential. Participants will learn how to strategise for the future and cater to future market requirements by developing a digital marketing planning framework. Further they will be given access to inbound marketing strategies essential for a Digital Marketer while also picking up tips and hints on turning digital marketing data into actionable insights. These are just some of the topics that will be covered during the two days of the workshop.
Additionally each session will have interactive sessions in the form of presentations, live demos, case studies, Q&A sessions and group activities.
“It is more than essential in today’s digital marketing world to be abreast of the latest trends and techniques. We conduct these workshops so that businesses in Sri Lanka will benefit from being on par with international companies and be able to achieve their potential online,” said Suranga Priyashantha, one of the facilitators of the workshop who is also a Senior Digital Marketing Strategist, and Consultant and Trainer.
The two day workshop is to be held on 5 and 6 December 2014 at Park Premier Excel World. Hurry and book your place at the Digital Market Boot Camp today: Call 0713 032 422/0115 920 258 or email workshops@epitomtraining.com. The boot camp will be conducted by trainers, that have years of experience and are leaders in the field of Digital Marketing in Sri Lanka. Joining Suranga, are Rohan Jayaweera Former Country Consultant for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Google Asia Pacific and Amitha Amarasinghe, Head of Neo@Ogilvy Sri Lanka, Blogger and Social Media Speaker.
For more information see ‘Upcoming Programmes’ section in www.epitomtraining.com.

WASHINGTON (Reuters): International Business Machine Corp last week launched a new e-mail application for businesses that integrates social media, file sharing and analytics to learn a user’s behaviour and predict interactions with coworkers.
The application is part of IBM’s attempt to shift its focus to cloud computing and data analytics from the hardware services that had long been the company’s bread and butter.
The new e-mail service, known as IBM Verse, includes a built-in personal assistant that can learn from a user’s behaviour and draft responses to e-mails based on similar previous interactions.
It also allows users to transform e-mail content into threads for blogs and social media, view the relationships between different employees in an e-mail, mute a chain and search through attachments.
The e-mail’ s interface pins a user’s most frequent contacts, schedule and lists of assignments to a dashboard for easy access.
“We came at this from the perspective that this is about changing the game, not just incremental improvements in e-mail,” Jeff Schick, IBM’s general manager of social solutions, told Reuters.
IBM’s enterprise mail service, known as Notes, is used by 25,000 companies worldwide and more than 50,000 use IBM’s social platform for businesses, IBM Connections. The company hopes IBM Verse will eventually replace Window’s popular Outlook.
The free initial model will include limited mailbox sizes and file sharing. A paid version with additional features and data allowance will be available in January 2015.
IBM is not the only company trying to give e-mail a makeover. In October, Google Inc launched an e-mail service called “Inbox” that will better organise e-mails and display information such as appointments, flight bookings and package deliveries in a more user-friendly way.
But unlike Google, IBM Verse will not sell the data it gathers about users to advertisers, a selling point critical for businesses concerned about privacy and security.
The service is delivered through cloud computing and will be available in IBM’s Cloud Marketplace.

The inaugural meeting of the Television Audience Measurement Advisory Committee (TAMAC) was held recently at the Cinnamon Grand with participation by TV networks, ad agencies and advertisers. Lanka Market Research Bureau Ltd. (LMRB), the operator of the RapidMeter system for TV audience measurement in Sri Lanka, acted as the facilitator.
The current TAMAC membership comprises the following:  Ravindra De Coonghe (Marketing Director – GlaxoSmithKline), Peter Solomon (Director Media Planning – Grants), Sabry Haniz (Chief Operating Officer – GroupM), Upali Ranjith (Director General Marketing – ITN), Prashanth Subramanium (Director – Media Factory), Radhini de Costa (Assistant Vice-President Marketing Services – Nestle), Lalith Sumanasiri (Managing Director- Ogilvy Media, Neo@Ogilvy) and Siddharth Banerjee (Country Marketing Director – Unilever).
More representatives from TV networks and advertisers (and possibly academia) are expected to join TAMAC in the near future.
LMRB emphasised that with the growing complexities in TV audience measurement, the need for delivering trust, confidence and integrity with the data becomes critical. Therefore the highest ethical and professional standards have to be followed when running a system such as the RapidMeter, for measuring TV audiences in a country.
The role of TAMAC would be to ensure adherence to international best practice in sample design, selection and recruitment, response rates, data processing, ratings calculations and the elimination of third party interference. TAMAC would also act as a forum for addressing user concerns.
During the meeting, it was explained that the ratings provider supplied viewership data along with the software necessary for its analysis, leaving users free to analyse the data and arrive at various results, whether it be a channel ranking or anything else.
It is therefore clear that the TV audience measurement system does not produce one and only one rating. Rather, each report contains millions of numbers, organised by demographic groups, TV channels, TV programs and time periods. Each of the ratings obtained from the data has its own margin of error because of its unique characteristics.
A rise or drop in viewership for a program need not necessarily mean that TV viewers have suddenly started liking or disliking content. Analysing TV viewing behaviour is more complex. There are many factors at play. Environmental factors like political events, adverse weather conditions such as lightening, power cuts, competitive programs, effect of promotions, special events like cricket etc. all contribute to behavioural (and therefore) data changes. These must be studied carefully before reaching any conclusions.
The meeting concluded, with general agreement that the whole ratings exercise was a learning curve, with users understanding over time that the biggest drivers of ratings was the content of programs and the profile of audiences.

Leading baby care expert Johnson Baby claimed Gold as the ‘International Brand of the Year’, at the prestigious SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2014, organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM).

Johnson’s Baby is a part of Johnson & Johnson, a company which has been in the global market for over 125 years. Over the years Johnson’s Baby has successfully adapted to the local culture and market by effectively catering to mothers across Sri Lanka with their diverse baby care product portfolio, localisation strategies and personalised engagements.
Commenting on the win, Johnson & Johnson Country Head for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Varun Das said: “As an industry standard, being awarded the gold for ‘International Brand of the Year’ is one of the highest honours we as a company can achieve in Sri Lanka. Over the years, Johnson’s Baby has been successful in the accurate identification of diverse customer needs and has therefore initiated engaging campaigns that have highlighted their effective catering towards these customers.”
One-on-one engagement with consumers has always played a fundamental role in Johnson’s Baby’s success. Their foremost campaign known as ‘Happy Snappy’ gave mothers and their babies a chance to be featured as the face of Johnson’s Baby by appearing in all of the brand’s advertisements as well as their annual calendar.

Earlier this year, the brand also launched its first television program ‘First Lessons in Love’ (Aadaraye Palamu Paadama), a weekly program on ITN for mothers featuring Yehali Sangakkara as well as guest appearances by leading paediatricians who advise mothers on maternal care, infant and child care, parental psychology and child growth and development. Furthermore, Johnsons’ Baby has also taken the lead with its largest online mom and baby community with over 73,000 fans.
“It is a brand that makes motherhood the best experience for mothers and babies. Johnson’s Baby maintains a loyal base of consumers who know and rely on the quality of a product which is globally recognised and perfected.
“Our special parent crafting programs are designed to measure the effectiveness of Johnson’s Baby products and we incorporate feedback received into our global product development cycle. The brand’s unprecedented user experience helps them directly connect with the consumers,” Das added.
Over the years Johnson’s Baby has received many prestigious awards including the silver award at the Effies in 2012 for effective communication and the bronze award for International Brand of the Year at the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2012 as well as being ranked No. 1 Personal Care Brand in Sri Lanka for three consecutive years by the consumer survey conducted by Brand Finance Sri Lanka.

Dynamic marketing professional Fiona Juriansz Munasinghe of Hemas Manufacturing Ltd has been awarded the coveted ‘Brand Leadership Award’ by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council.

This prestigious accolade was presented at the 2014 Global Marketing Excellence Awards of the World Marketing Congress at Taj Land’s End, Mumbai recently. Munasinghe was the only Sri Lankan to win an award in this category at this awards ceremony.
The World Marketing congress is an annual event where marketers from around the globe are rewarded for their achievements. Recipients are selected by an experienced and prestigious panel of judges after many rounds of evaluation which asses their leadership in achieving marketing excellence, brand building abilities and outstanding contribution to mentor marketing professionals. Candidates from more than 50 countries around the world were considered under many award categories at this award ceremony.
Fiona Munasinghe holds a Business Management degree from the University of Manchester and a Masters degree from the Postgraduate Institute of Management. She is also a Chartered Marketer and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), United Kingdom. Further, she is a Certified Professional Marketer (CPM) from The Asia Marketing Federation (AMF), Singapore and a graduate and Member of Chartered Management Accountants (CMA), Australia.
A marketing professional with an illustrious career, she has steered many international and local brands to achieve excellence. She carries work experience across more than 8 product categories and 10 brands operating in the wellness and FMCG spheres.
As the Marketing Manager of Hemas Consumer Brands of Hemas Group, she is in charge of the three biggest categories in which Hemas operates: laundry, personal wash and oral care brand custodian of Diva, the second biggest laundry powder brand in Sri Lanka, Clogard, the second largest oral care brand and Velvet, the biggest beauty soap brand in Sri Lanka.
Fiona has won multiple awards at the SLIM (Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing) Brand Excellence awards, the biggest, most recognised and well respected marketing awards in the country. Most recently Velvet, a brand under her purview was awarded Brand of the Year as well as Gold awards for Product and Local Brand of the Year at the recently concluded SLIM Brand Excellence Awards held in October 2014.

THE Indo Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ILCCI), established in 2006 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, held its sixth Annual General Meeting on 21 November 2014. High Commissioner of India Y.K. Sinha was the Chief Guest.

In his address to the distinguished gathering, the High Commissioner highlighted the contribution of the ILCCI in the furtherance of economic engagement between India and Sri Lanka. He dwelled upon the strong trade and economic linkages built by India and Sri Lanka since coming into force of the India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement nearly 14 years ago, including in trade, investment, tourism and development partnership.
At the same time, the High Commissioner, stressed upon the need to upgrade economic and commercial relations between the two countries stating that Sri Lanka was ideally and uniquely well placed to leverage the strong economic growth potential of India. He said India and Sri Lanka need to work towards unleashing the full potential of the bilateral economic relations, through creation of an enabling environment for trade in services and collaboration in diverse sectors including tourism, education and construction services.
The High Commissioner laid stress on the increased connectivity between India and Sri Lanka.  Stating that Sri Lanka was on the cusp of rapid economic growth and India could partner Sri Lanka in this endeavor through exploring new avenues of cooperation based on mutual strengths and complementarities. He conveyed the ILCCI had a central role in enhancing mutual bilateral economic and commercial engagement emphasising that through collective efforts this goal would be achieved.
ILCCI President Vish Govindasamy, addressing the members stated, “The relationship between Sri Lanka and India has developed beyond trade into the sectors of development, education, culture and defence, as well as a broad understanding on major issues of international interest.” He further stated that even though there are issues such as non-Tariff Barriers, which still are a concern in certain areas when exporting to India, the two countries have successfully maintained a sustainable association especially in the area of business relationships.
Govindasamy requested the Indian High Commission to favourably consider the re-introduction of the long term – i.e. two years to five years – business Visa to genuine Sri Lankan Businessmen who travel regularly to India. He stated that the ILCCI had also made representations to the Sri Lankan Immigration Office to reciprocate same to genuine Indian businessmen travelling to Sri Lanka regularly and is being looked at positively by the Department.
The long term business Visa is currently available to Sri Lankan businesses who have invested in India.
The following were elected to the Committee of ILCCI for the year 2013/2014, at the AGM:

• President – Vish Govindasamy, Group Managing Director, Watawala Plantations PLC

• Vice President – Biju Jacob, Country Head, ICICI Bank

• Vice President – Romesh David, President Transportation Group, John Keells Holdings PLC

• Immediate Past President – Desamanya Mano Selvanathan, Group Director, Carson Cumberbatch PLC

Committee Members:

• Associated Motorways Ltd.

• Bharati Airtel Lanka Ltd.

• Carson Cumberbatch PLC

• Hirdaramani (Industries) Ltd.

• Lanka IOC PLC

• Piramal Glass Ceylon PLC

• Watawala Plantations PLC

• First Secretary (Economic & Commercial), High Commission of India

• Director General Commerce of Sri Lanka (By invitation)

Reuters: Lewis Hamilton declared Sunday the greatest day of his life after ending a thrilling season with his second Formula One world championship.

If winning the first title with McLaren after a last-gasp move in Brazil in 2008 was special, then the triumph under the Abu Dhabi floodlights was something else again.
“The feeling I have now is way, way past that and above and beyond,” the Mercedes driver told reporters with tears in his eyes.
“It’s the greatest feeling ever. I’m grateful to God, I’m grateful for my car finishing and really, to everyone, thank you so much,” added the Briton.
Hamilton went into Sunday’s race 17 points clear of team mate Nico Rosberg but with the German on pole position and an unprecedented double points on offer.
Everything hung on a knife-edge, one mechanical failure or mistake liable to make the difference between elation and despondency.
The Briton had made several errors in qualifying, enough to prompt the team’s non-executive chairman Niki Lauda to suggest the 29-year-old might not be sleeping too soundly on Saturday night.

Hamilton had insisted he would sleep like a baby but the reality was very different. He was nervous, tense at what the day might hold.
“Niki was right, I didn’t sleep last night. I went to bed at about 1 a.m. and woke up at like 5 a.m.,” he admitted. “I thought for sure I’m going to be tired when it gets to the race but somehow I felt composed.”
Hamilton made the start of his life, rocketing off the line and away before Rosberg could react.
At the finish, with Rosberg out of the points and wrestling with engine troubles, he lapped the floodlit circuit with the British lag fluttering from the cockpit.
The win was his 11th of the campaign, with Mercedes winning a record 16 in total, and made him the first British double champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971.
“This has been an incredible year. I just cannot believe how amazing this has all been,” he said. “This is the greatest moment in my life…it feels very surreal. It feels like an out-of-body experience. I feel like I’m back here watching this going on, it’s not really happening.”

Reuters: As he picked up the European money list trophy for the second time in three seasons on Sunday, Rory McIlroy had two words to say when asked for his goals for 2015: “Green Jacket”.

To golfers, that phrase means one thing – winning the U.S. Masters, the only major championship to elude the Northern Irishman.
“It’s not something I thought possible, I will work hard and make sure I’m ready for that,” McIlroy told reporters after tying for second at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the European Tour season-ender.
Winning in Augusta will be tough – no European has done it since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999 – yet world number one McIlroy is well equipped to end the drought after a season in which he claimed a maiden British Open title, a second U.S. PGA crown and two other European Tour victories.
“In terms of ball striking, I’ve driven it better, which is a huge part of my game,” McIlroy told reporters. “When I drive it well I can give myself shorter irons into greens and more opportunities for birdies. My mid-range putting has been very good this year.”
The 25-year-old admitted the pressure of being the world’s best had been difficult to handle.
“I used to be uncomfortable. There’s added scrutiny and there’s added criticism,” said McIlroy. “But I learned to deal with it. It’s just part of the title. I want to keep it for as long as I possibly can.”
McIlroy’s 2014 resurgence happened despite off-course dramas. He split up with his fiancee, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, and is involved in a legal dispute with his former agents which led him to miss some tournaments.
“I learned a lot from it. I feel I came through this year stronger and wiser and can go into 2015 in a much better place,” said McIlroy.

He said he was encouraged to finish just adrift of Dubai winner Henrik Stenson despite three undistinguished rounds following Thursday’s opening 66.
“It’s a really big positive, not just going into next year, but the rest of my career,” McIlroy added. “In seasons gone by, a bad week for me would have been middle of the pack or if there was a cut, maybe battling to make the cut.”

Kandy travelled to Welisara with a purpose and went back with the tag ‘Mission Accomplished’. The mission was to defeat Navy in their comfort zone at Welisara which also boasts loads of naval vocal support.
The conditions were soggy underfoot with heavy rain in the lead-up to the game and thus fast and open rugby was not expected. The play was disjointed at best and one man stood out for the entire duration of the game, Kandy’s number 7, Cloete.
He was simply brilliant throughout the game and at times it appeared that it was him against the Navy fifteen. If any youngster wanted to emulate a player at the pivotal position of a flanker here was a shining example. His overall rugby skills and acumen were on display, be it in attack or in defence.

Against the Navy lineout he positioned himself well to ensure that the Navy three-quarter moves were snuffed out early with his excellent tackling and was omnipresent in broken play, winning many a turnover ball.
The Navy forwards boasted of many Sri Lanka caps but they were reduced to mere bystanders against the ingenuity of Kandy’s play. The conditions underfoot were such that the burly Navy forwards found it difficult to bind low and their resultant inability to effectively scrum was visible. In such conditions it is generally advisable to have longer studs on your boots for better traction, a thought which barely entered the mind of players from both teams.
In Saturday’s conditions, a forwards battle is the order of the day as they eke out precious territory. The Navy forwards appeared to be slow and when the ball was kicked behind them, they turned with the speed and poise of Queen Mary. There was a fair degree of aerial play in the form of high kicks, which both teams handled with finesse despite the murky conditions and a greasy ball.
Rugby requires making quality decisions in real-time, and Kandy’s decision to attempt a long range penalty close to full time was fraught with risk given the 13-6 scoreline. Luckily for them, it was successful, if not they would have played into the hands of Navy. Thereafter even with a few seconds remaining, Navy made a last onslaught but the Kandy defence stood firm and with the heavens deciding to open over the grounds in the last quarter, all were happy to hear the long whistle of the Singaporean referee.
The referee by far had a good game, although at times he was anxious to get a good look at the ball and was in the firing line. The hallmark of a good referee is to be close enough to view infringements but far enough not to interfere with play. While the decision to fly down expatriate referees at a considerable cost to bolster the sagging morale of the trade is a good one, the quality too, must be commensurate with the amount spent.
The Havies-CH game was a drab affair matched only by the fickle weather and sparse crowd despite the game being played under lights. Although Havies were back to winning ways, there was nothing in the game that would inspire the coaching staff to believe that they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Given the quality of the opposition, Havelocks should have strived for a larger margin of victory. Certain substitutions made were poor and the bench strength could have been made use of fruitfully. The referee once again was the Singaporean from the previous day.
This time round, in addition to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he also decided on an excessive use of the whistle akin to that of a traffic policeman. A good referee will let the game flow by judicious use of the advantage rule. This inept refereeing coupled with some ordinary rugby from both teams, ended a gloomy Sunday on an even more dismal note.

Reuters: European champions Real Madrid will play exhibition matches with an English Premier League side and a Serie A club at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground next year, organisers said on Monday.
The teams will play each other in three fixtures at the 100,000-seat MCG from July 18-24 as part of the International Champions Cup, a series of pre-season matches involving top European clubs, Victoria state sports minister Damien Drum told reporters.
The other teams will be named in coming weeks.
Manchester City, who own Melbourne City in Australia’s top-flight A-League, are expected to participate. Local media have speculated Inter Milan will be the third.

Reuters: Pop singer Katy Perry will headline the halftime entertainment at February’s Super Bowl, the most-watched U.S. sporting and television event, according to an announcement by the National Football League on Sunday.

The 30-year-old “Roar” singer joins the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Prince to perform at the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show, which regularly attracts more viewers than the average for the championship game itself.
Sportscaster Bob Costas announced the performance at halftime of the Cowboys-Giants game on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona, and broadcast on Comcast Corp-owned network NBC.
Perry acknowledged the announcement on her Twitter feed while watching the game in Australia, where she is currently on her Prismatic World Tour.
“Yeppers!” she wrote. “And I’ve already started testing out ideas!”
A few minutes before the announcement was made, Perry hinted that she was looking forward to the performance.
The announcement came as Perry won favorite female pop/rock artist at Sunday’s American Music Awards.
This year’s Super Bowl averaged a record 112.2 million viewers on network Fox, while the halftime performance by singer Bruno Mars and rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers drew 115.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
The music industry considers the Super Bowl its top promotional venue because artists can expect a strong recording sales bump following the performance. It is also often used as a spring board to launch new music or tour announcements.

Reuters: Singaporean Mardan Mamat romped to an emotional six-shot win at the $1 million Manila Masters on Sunday to preserve his playing privileges on the Asian Tour for another two years.

The 47-year-old entered the week in danger of losing his card but a three-under-par 69 in the wind at the Jack Nicklaus designed Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club was more than enough to claim his fourth Asian Tour title and first since the 2012 Philippine Open.
“It means a lot to me,” said Mamat, who fell to his knees and kissed the green after closing with a par at the last.
“This is my last year of exemption and I needed to play well to keep my card. I wanted to win again to keep my exemption for the next few years.”
Mamat entered the day with a four-shot lead and his steely focus resulted in five birdies and two bogeys which were enough for a fourth round in the 60s this week and a 20-under total of 268.
His playing partner Kiradech Aphibarnrat struggled in the conditions on the way to a three-over 75, allowing Frenchman Lionel Weber to finish second after a closing 70.

• George Bailey’s side had started the series in third position on 114 ratings points and has finished on equal points with India on 117

Four-time world champion Australia has returned to the top of the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings after defeating South Africa 4-1 in the five-match ODI series, which concluded in Sydney on Sunday.

George Bailey’s side had started the series in third position on 114 ratings points and has finished on equal points with India on 117 ratings points. However, when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, Australia is just 0.2 clear of India and five ratings points clear of South Africa, which has dropped one place to third.
South Africa had moved ahead of Australia last month, following its 2-0 victory over New Zealand.
Australia, who has enjoyed a total of 498 weeks at the top pedestal since the current rankings system was introduced in October 2002, will now participate in a triangular series, also featuring world champion India and England. This series will start in Melbourne on 16 January and will conclude in Perth on 1 February.
With just one ranking point separating them, fourth placed Sri Lanka hosts fifth placed England in a seven-ODI series which starts in Colombo on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bangladesh are currently facing Zimbabwe in a five-match ODI series.

• Dilruwan Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna and Chaturanga de Silva omitted too from ODI squad for first three games against England starting tomorrow

ESPNCricinfo: Sri Lanka have named a substantially changed ODI squad for the first three games against England, jettisoning several ODI regulars in favour of players who had not been part of the limited-overs sides in the past year.

Sri Lanka will effectively field a new-look attack against England, but the most left-field selection is that of a batsman. Thilina Kandamby, 32, has not played and ODI since 2011, but will now be considered for a middle-order spot ahead of the World Cup.
Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara is the most high-profile exclusion, and his place is taken up by Shaminda Eranga, who had not played an ODI in over a year before the recent India series. Other changes to the attack include a recall for legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis, and Test offspinner Dilruwan Perera. Slow-bowling allrounders Seekkuge Prasanna and Chaturanga de Silva have been left out.
This series sees the return of Rangana Herath, after he had been rested against India, while spinner Ajantha Mendis, and quicks Lahiru Gamage and Dhammika Prasad retain their places in the squad. The attack’s mediocre outings against India earlier in the month, contributed to the scale of the changes in the squad, a selector confirmed. Lasith Malinga remains unavailable until at least January, as he recovers from ankle surgery.

Kandamby effectively replaces Dinesh Chandimal and Ashan Priyanjan, both of whom had been tried in the India series, without encouraging results. Like Chandimal, Kandamby made a duck in Sri Lanka A’s first practice match against England on Friday, but he earns a place through reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s reliable domestic performers. He only played six innings in Sri Lanka’s List A tournament this year, but collected his runs at an average of 62.33, with a strike rate of 84. Kandamby has played 38 ODIs in the past, briefly even captaining the one-day team, to return 870 runs at an average of 30.
Jeevan, meanwhile, had had a better outing in that warm-up match, hitting an unbeaten 42 at the tail-end of Sri Lanka A’s innings. He also appears to have some bowling form behind him, having taken seven wickets from three matches in the Dhaka Premier League. Jeevan played his most recent ODI in July last year.
Dilruwan’s limited-overs recall has taken much longer. He last played an ODI for Sri Lanka in 2008. He has established himself as Sri Lanka’s no. 2 Test-match spinner behind Herath in 2014, but also had a good List A domestic tournament, taking 10 wickets at 12.60 in his seven matches.
Sachithra Senanayake remains banned from international cricket, but has recently undergone a re-test of his action, and, if cleared, has a chance of being available towards the end of the series. Seamer Suranga Lakmal is also expected to have recovered sufficiently from his ankle injury to become available by the fourth ODI.
Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya had hinted Sri Lanka might try Test-opener Kaushal Silva at the top of the order, alongside Tillakaratne Dilshan, but Sri Lanka have not named him in this squad, retaining Kusal Perera instead. Gamage and Ajantha Mendis are not guaranteed World Cup spots, but they had been among the more impressive bowlers in India, and will be looked at closely, in this series.

Turning a retail space into a true retail adventure, Softlogic Retail Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings Plc have announced the opening of their latest Softlogic Max store in Panadura. Spanning over 4,000 square feet, the spacious two storey retail space in the heart of Panadura is the eleventh Softlogic Max store in the country and opened its doors to the public on 13 November 2014.

Softlogic Max is the premier retail store for world reputed brand names of home appliances, upscale electronics and office automation solutions in Sri Lanka. Shoppers in Panadura can now avail themselves to the widest range of world famous brand names such as Panasonic, Samsung, Dell, Nokia, Apple, Acer, Blackberry, Usha, Candy, and Russell Hobbs across the latest and most desirable merchandise categories from state of the art LED TVs, home theatre systems, audio systems, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, kitchen appliances, notebook computers, air conditioners and more.
The Softlogic Max stores encapsulate a world class retail experience which features a customer focused, contemporary store ambience where easy navigation and excellent customer service is key. The store interior follows the concept design for all Softlogic stores with unique, multi-dimensional spaces incorporating sleek materials and ablue and white colorationthat is in keeping with Softlogic’s over-arching aesthetic.
Modern fixtures and fittings highlight Softlogic’s shopping philosophy by offering a visually stunning arrangement through the use of innovative lighting, customer friendly product displays, wide circulation paths and a precise and organised layout.

With Softlogic Max now located in Panadura customers in the region will be able to take advantage of the host of amazing seasonal promotions and attractive deals on offer at the store, making shopping for electronics and home appliances an unforgettable experience. Shoppers will be treated to up to an incredible 20% discount on select electronic items, attractive and unmatched hire purchase schemes and incredible free gifts on offer.
The store will also extend to customers the financial flexibility of special 0% interest free installment schemes across all leading banks, offering the customer the choice to select the best plan that suits their budget.
Starting from 15 November, exclusive only to Softlogic customersNTB American Express cardholders will receive up to 15% off selected items plus installment plans of 0% interest for up to 60 months on selected items ofelectronics and home appliances.
Shoppers at Panadura’s Softlogic Max can appreciate the convenience of the shopping space which allows for ample parking facilities and a friendly and well informed sales staff to provide expert advice and assistance, as well as doorstep delivery and superior after sales service. For the convenience of customers the store is divided into separate zones, each addressing a specific customer need and is designed in accordance with international standards with a focus on creating sophistication and a customer friendly environment.

By Wealth Trust Securities
The increasing trend witnessed in secondary bond markets during the latter part of last week driven by uncertainties eased off marginally yesterday as the spread on two way quotes narrowed.
The yields on the liquid maturities of 1 May 2021, 1 July 2022 and 1 January 2024 narrowed down to 7.90/00, 8.13/20 and 8.30/50 respectively against its Friday’s closing levels of 7.80/50, 8.20/60 and 8.30/80 as a limited amount of activity was witnessed on these maturities within the range of 7.95% to 8.05%, 8.10% to 8.20% and 8.30% to 8.40%.
In addition, yields on the five-year maturity of 01.07.2019 narrowed down as well, to a level of 7.25/35 with it changing hands at levels of 7.30%. However, overall activity in the market moderated yesterday as most market participants were seen on the sidelines due to the prevailing uncertainties.
Surplus liquidity on an overnight basis, stood at Rs.11.25 billion yesterday with an amount of Rs. 4.22 b being mopped up from the system by way of a four day Repo auction conducted by the Open Market Operations (OMO) department of the Central Bank at a weighted average of 5.96%. The overnight call money and repo rates averaged at 6.00% and 5.51% respectively.
Rupee depreciates
In Forex markets, the dollar/rupee (USD/LKR) rate on spot next contracts depreciated to a daily low of Rs. 131.35 and closed the day at levels of Rs. 131.25 / 131.40 yesterday, in comparison to its previous week’s closing level of Rs. 131.20 /30 on the back of demand continuing to outweigh supply.
Some of the forward dollar rates that prevailed in the market were: one month – 131.78; three months – 132.90; and six months – 134.13.