Tata Global Beverages MD visits Watawala Plantations
The longstanding partnership between Tata Global Beverages and
Watawala Plantation PLC, has created a platform for India to share the
new clones and variants of teas they have developed with the Sri Lankan
tea industry, says Harish Bhat, Managing Director of Tata Global
Beverages Limited, during a recent visit to Sri Lanka.
Harish Bhat |
India’s tea industry he says, focuses mostly on innovation and
research. India’s Tea Board last week, has allocated a staggering 1.5
billion rupees towards research and development. It had also been
reported that Rs. 200 million would be spent on developing weather
resistant tea clones.
“The foundation of our partnership with Watawala Plantation is
nothing, but trust and transparency. We have a lot to share with each
other. This partnership allows the Indian tea industry to share its
commitments towards technology and innovation with Sri Lanka,” he said.
Tata Global Beverages is strongly involved in Sri Lanka’s tea
industry and has a joint venture with Estate Management Services
(Private) Limited, the company which manages Sunshine Holdings
subsidiary, Watawala Plantations PLC. Bhat, a veteran of the industry
who has been with the Tata Group for nearly 25 years, is also a board
director of Watawala Plantations PLC.
“We, as a company, are pleased to be engaged with the Sri Lankan tea
industry. We have built a robust partnership with Sunshine Holdings
through Watawala Plantation PLC, spanning nearly 25 years. We have been
together in good times as well as in tough times. Both companies, I must
say, have grown rapidly, particularly in the past several years and we
share a similar vision for the future,” Bhagat said.
Tata Global Beverages, a 1.5 billion dollar company involved in the
beverage industry, is a global industry leader with a wide investment
portfolio covering tea, coffee and mineral waters. The company whose
history spans across two centuries, unites the beverage interests of
Tata under one umbrella. Tetley, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata
Global Beverages, is the world's second largest manufacturer and
distributor of tea.
Tetley's manufacturing and distribution business which spreads across
40 countries, sells over 60 branded tea bags. According to the Managing
Director of Tata Global Beverages, the Company wants to keep investing
in the business, while creating strong brands.
Commenting on their partnership with Sunshine’s Watawala Plantations,
he said, “As a company, we have grown substantially, both organically
and through acquisition. Sri Lanka has a strong and vibrant tea industry
of which Watawala Plantations is a significant stakeholder. Watawala has
created three powerful tea brands in Sri Lanka targeting three different
segments of the tea market. We need to appreciate their excellent
performance and the commitment they have shown in achieving their goals.
We are proud to partner with them.”
“One of the plus points we see is the brilliant execution and
excellent focus on their business and business results. Both on
plantation and marketing fronts, it has achieved remarkable success. On
the other hand, he said, Watawala Plantations kept investing in the
business even during difficult times.
This helped the business to remain strong in both good and bad years.
He also mentioned that Tata Global Beverages was in the process of
marketing Sri Lankan tea in markets where Tata Global Beverages hold a
strong position.
“There is also a great potential to grow this partnership into new
areas, where Tata Global Beverages is already strong,” he said.
Bhat said that the contributions of Vish Govindasamy, Group Managing
Director of Sunshine Holdings, was of great value to Tata Global
Beverages as far as global strategies were concerned.
He also stressed the need of strengthening the position of Ceylon Tea
in markets in the international market, although it already has a strong
equity in several key markets.
Vish Govindasamy, Group Managing Director of Sunshine Holdings,
emphasizing the importance of the company’s partnership with Tata Global
Beverages, stated that Sunshine Holdings was extremely eager to further
strengthen existing markets and consolidate our International presence
as well as to explore new markets in the near future. |