Kosalya Int'l to open office in Sri Lanka

by Sarath Malalasekera

Kosalya International, a finance, tax and management consultancy firm based in Washington DC is to open an office in Sri Lanka this month to celebrate its 35th anniversary.

Founded by Kosala G. Tantula in November of 1970 with one Dental Clinic in London as its first client, Kosalya International, after a slow start, has grown into an organisation with a worldwide clientele representing 61 countries.

Tantula says since his youth he has dreamt of setting up an international organisation and got the break when he became articled with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Initially being "an unknown quantity" in London, finding clients was not that easy. But with initial encouragement from his principal, Chartered Accountant John Stevens and later from the internationally renowned Banker Eric Bishop, building up a clientele became easier.

In 1975 when he moved to USA although, Tantula said that he had an opportunity to join the World Bank but he accepted the challenge of building Kosalya International and encouraged his wife to join the World Bank.

Kosalya International has over the years represented small, medium and large clients.

The client list includes such corporate clients as Ericssons, Aramco, IBM and international organisations such as the World Bank, Pan American Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

Later Kosalya International diversified its activities setting up an Investor Matching Programme and now is in to real estate investment and venture funding. With several sister organisations such as Officechum, Inc., Nivhana Holiday Homes and Kosalya Films (USA) it has moved into the Asian continent with a view of extending its activities to India and China.

As they already had a built up client list in Hydrabad and Banglore Tantula was initially considering Hydrabad or Banglore as a stepping stone to the Asian continent. But his attachment to the country of his birth has compelled him to decide on Sri Lanka.

Kosalya International intends assisting Sri Lankan businessmen and investors to find overseas markets.

His sister organisation Officechum will assist small and medium businesses in financial planning and business organisation.