In a bid to bring foreign exchange to up the country and strengthen the local economy, a diversified young entrepreneur from Nuwara Eliya, R. Thilagan, has opened his first international branch office in Dubai to market Sri Lankan coir and vegetable products.
In addition, he plans to export Sri Lankan gems and value-added diamonds to the Dubai market through this regional office.
Thilagan, Founder and Chairman of Isha Holdings International, said his family has been involved in the vegetable business, furniture and trading in Nuwara Eliya for decades.
“In a bid to bring foreign exchange to our company and the Nuwara Eliya region, while also providing better income for local farmers, I started a new agri initiative to value-add vegetables such as capsicum, carrot, leeks, beans, brinjals, broccoli, potatoes, and onions. These are cleaned, processed, and packaged in ready-to-cook form for leading catering houses and food supply companies in Colombo. The products are processed at my Good Food Products factory in Labukele, Nuwara Eliya,” he said.
Following positive customer feedback, Thilagan expanded the operation under his new company brand, Good Food Products to Dubai by opening the first regional office and commencing exports. “We have tied up with leading distributors in Dubai, and our products are now much sought after in supermarket chains,” he added.
In addition to vegetables, Thilagan has invested in local coir manufacturers and set up joint ventures to export coir-based products to Dubai. The Dubai office has also partnered with UAE horticulture supply companies to distribute coir products to hotels, businesses and homes.
“Thanks to the quality of locally value-added vegetables and coir products, both verticals have been very successful, and demand is growing. We hope to expand to other countries,” he said, noting that further expansion plans are temporarily on hold due to the ongoing war situation.
Thilagan also shared that the company has obtained a gem license to export Sri Lankan gems and jewellery to Dubai and entered joint ventures with two gem marketing companies in Kandy. Plans are underway for another joint venture to value and export diamonds to Dubai with contacts established at the Dubai Gem and Diamond Exchange.
Beyond agriculture and gems, Thilagan, a founding director of Greentel Mobile Phones, said the company will now aggressively expand its mobile portfolio. “We have already imported Greentel Tabs and will soon bring other accessories to Sri Lanka,” he noted, as the brand gains recognition and growing demand.
