Niluka storms male - dominated domain in logistics

 by Shirajiv Sirimane

LOGISTICS: The shipping industry in Sri Lanka is a domain confined to the males and for a lass in her prime from Kandy to enter this competitive field and to set up a successful venture is something, which needs to be commended.

This was what the Managing Director of Serendib Logistics Worldwide, Niluka Welikala, did when she set up the company with a handful of employees. Having had her education in St. Anthony's Convent, Katugastota and starting her career as a marketer she learnt her finer points of entrepreneurship during this time.

'I observed that there was a demand for a reliable logistics company and decided to diversify," she said.

The diversification turned out to be a major success and soon she started wooing new and influential clients.

"The beginning was not at all easy as there was nobody to assist or guide me in this specialised field. However this gave me more determination to continue," she said.

Among her first customers were non-governmental organisations, expatriates and emerging entrepreneurs. With the business expanding, she opened an office in Italy. "I am now looking at opening other offices overseas and looking at opportunities to increase transshipment volumes", she said.

The success of my life had been hardwork, dedication and positive thinking. "I sleep only five hours a day," she said.

Serendib Logistics Worldwide today has over 30 trained employees and is located in Sir Baron Jayatilleke Mawatha, Colombo 1.

"The location close to the Colombo Harbour also gives us a competitive advantage," she said.

 I always wanted to do something above the ordinary and then I set up a craft village in Sigiriya to assist the people involved in the handicraft sector in the area," she said. The company now specialises in air and sea freight, door-to-door delivery, high quality packaging, storage and complete documentation, insurance, Customs clearance and warehousing, fully automated systems for on-line tracking and tracing.

She was a participant at the recent Sri Lanka Investment Roundtable Conference held at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, London.

This gave her a unique opportunity to meet high profile investors in United Kingdom and since her return she is busy coordinating with these investors.

The vision of the company is to be the leader in the logistics market while providing total integrated logistical solutions," she said.