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Not smooth as silk
By N. Dilshath Banu
It is the only company that produces pure silk materials in Sri Lanka. Ko Lanka Pure Silk (Pvt) Ltd was established in 1990 in Pallekelle, Kandy and its focus was the overseas market.

“Initially, we wove kimono belts and kimonos for Japan. We used to bring down two kimono experts to train our weavers. Since then, we have got many orders from other countries for various textile products,” R.S. Balanathan, Director of Ko Lanka said.

“From the beginning, our target was to export silk materials and garments to countries like Japan, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Sri Lanka stood out in the silk market as we were able to beat other silk-producing countries such as India, Thailand and even China. From 1993 to 1998 we were the leading silk exporters and had around 200 weavers and other staff in the company,” Mr. Balanathan said.

Ko Lanka’s products were exhibited thrice every year, mainly in Colombo and Kandy. In November 2004, Mr. Balanathan had his exhibition at the BMICH and in December at the Women’s International Club. Three years ago, the company ventured abroad, holding an exhibition in Denmark and Sweden.

“For the exhibitions, I not only take the silk materials and the garments but also weaving machines, so that prospective buyers can see how we do our business,” Mr. Balanathan said.

Hard times came with the millennium, as China, the world’s leading producer, conquered the market. “China started to produce much cheaper silk products than us and as a result we lost major exports. We had to cut down on labour. While earlier Sri Lanka used to produce silk, this was stopped by the government in 2000. So, we have to import silk yarn mainly from Korea and China, which means the cost of silk products will be two or three times more than the earlier price,” said Mr. Balanathan.

“It was during this time, we started to look into the local market. We began to weave sarees, shalwars and shawls for local customers. But the problem we faced was the price. Then we introduced cotton to the market. We do pure cotton and cotton mixed with silk, while our main line is silk,” Mr. Balanathan said.

Mr. Balanathan is delighted that people in Kandy and the suburbs buy silk from Ko Lanka. “They don’t wear silks which are imported from India, but the products from their own country. Those silks that are imported are not pure silk; they’re mixed with some other material or may be even woven with artificial thread. That’s why you can’t wear silk most of the time on hot days. Silk has a special quality, it gives coolness during hot weather, and retains body heat during cold weather. That’s the nature of silk. But it should be pure silk. If silk is mixed with some other material, it tends to replicate the quality of that particular material,” explained Mr. Balanathan.

Now, with a staff of 45, Ko Lanka has ventured into cotton weaving. Still focused on the local market, orders from abroad are taken too, maintaining a positive profile in exports. Last year, Mr. Balanathan won the Presidential Award for Silk Export and Silk Saree.

Mr. Balanathan says that he is now battling two problems; the lack of staff and high cost of silk. “If we can bring down the cost of silk, then local people would be able to purchase silk products and we may be able to export silk products at a lower price too. But we need the government’s assistance for this.”

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