Emirates honours its Lankan Travel Agents

Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, last week honoured Sri Lanka's leading travel and cargo agents for their contribution to the airline's growth in the last financial year. 

The six travel and cargo agents who contributed the highest revenue to the airline were presented with framed gold replicas of the traditional dhow of the UAE, in appreciation of their support to Emirates. 

The airline's gala annual awards presentation was themed "Award winning moments" and was attended by leading personalities of the local travel trade and representatives of Emirates Senior Management from Dubai and Colombo. 

Keith Longstaff' Emirates' Senior General Manager, Commercial Operations (West Asia & Pacific Rim), said Emirates was proud to be associated with the Sri Lankan passenger and cargo agents, who had contributed significantly to the airline's revenue. 

"Emirates recorded its most successful year last year, and we have you to thank for this," Mr Longstaff said. 

Emirates Manager Freight Operations in Dubai, Hiran Perera said: "Colombo is an important destination for Emirates Sky Cargo. We have had substantial growth in cargo volumes in Sri Lanka, and Emirates is looking at bringing in a freighter to Colombo soon." 

Emirates Area Manager Sri Lanka and the Maldives Tissa Bibile, delivered the welcome address at the ceremony. The top passenger agent for the year was Mackinnons Travels, while Roton Vander Freighting Pvt. Ltd., received the award for the top cargo agent for the seventh consecutive year. 

Harvard professor to lecture here

Professor Robert Kaplan, Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at the Harvard Business School, is expected in Sri Lanka in December. He will lecture on "Corporate Performance Management: an approach that works," to a select number of CEOs of leading companies. He will be also lecture at the 10th anniversary of CIMA SL on the topic."Cost and Performance Management for the new Millennium". 

Prof. Kaplan's research, teaching and consulting focus on new cost and performance measurement systems, primarily activity based costing and the balance scorecard. 

He has authored and company-authored more than 100 papers and 9 books. Kaplan received the outstanding accounting educator award in 1988 from the American Accounting Association and the 1994 award from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) for outstanding contributions to the accountancy profession. He is acknowledged internationally as an expert in the field and regularly offers seminars in America, Europe and in Asia. It is believed that this is the first occasion a person of his standing from the Harvard Business School will visit Sri Lanka. 

Beating rivals with creative thinking

Creative thinking can help you generate many options and alternatives and select the best suited to your needs. Developing your individual thinking tools would help you enter a world without boundaries, helping you discover that corporate growth and personal growth can have no limits. 

This subject will be discussed at the next Evening Meeting of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, on November 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the lower floor Crystal Room of the Hotel Taj Samudra in Colombo 3. 

The speaker for the evening is Ms. Rekha Shetty, Managing Director of Farstar Distribution Network Ltd., one of the first persons in India to specialise in management creativity. She has conducted creativity programmes for many premier institutions in India including Ceylon Tobacco Co., Ltd., in Sri Lanka. 

With a brilliant academic record with two university ranks, Ms. Shetty developed a nationally acclaimed advertising campaign for United India Insurance, and in Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd., her work on financial advertising was a landmark. 

As Group Vice President-Marketing of the Apollo Hospitals group, she pioneered the concept of hospital marketing and health insurance and as Profit Centre Head with the Maxworth Group, she used creative options to develop new concepts. 

NSB'S thrift day offering to children

The National Savings Bank marked World Thrift Day, on October 31 with a new savings scheme for children. 

This savings scheme will come into effect in all branches of the bank simultaneously. 

With the launching of the new scheme, the N.S.B. will introduce two new products to the market. 

• Punchi Hapan - for children upto 7 years of age 

• Hapan - for children between the ages of 7 and 16 years, 

'Punchi Hapan' accounts can be opened and operated on behalf of children below 7 years by parents or in the absence of both parents, by the grand father/grand mother or the guardian who takes care of the minor. 'Hapan' accounts can be opened and operated by children who have completed 7 years of age. The maximum age limit for such accounts is 16 years. 

'Hapan' accounts will be converted into ordinary savings accounts once the child completes 16 years of age. 

Business Briefs

• Maskeliya goes organic in Koslanda
• Heavy tea drinkers soon to be growers
• Com Cats in Ambalantota
• Quality Management course
• WHO, Pharmaceutical Industry Team-up

Maskeliya goes organic in Koslanda

In 1994, Maskeliya Plantations embarked on a project to convert one of their estates in the Bandarawela region into a sustainable agriculture system. 

Today, that estate, Koslanda Organic Tea estate, can proudly claim to be one of Lanka's largest organic tea producers with an annual production of over 60,000 kgs of made tea. 

The estate has also obtained certification from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia Ltd., Organic Farms and Growers, United Kingdom and the Institute of Market ecology, Europe. As a result of the sustainable agriculture system, Koslanda has seen a dramatic improvement in the soil condition, an increase in the population and species of flora and fauna and better health and welfare conditions aimed at enhancing the quality of life of staff and workers. 

The efforts of the management in undertaking this project have been rewarded by the attractive prices for Koslanda's produce. Recently, the first ever Organic Silver Tips produced in Sri Lanka, by Koslanda, was sold at a record price of Rs. 10,000 per kg to M/s Brooke Bonds Ceylon Ltd. 

Heavy tea drinkers soon to be growers

Pakistan, considered to be the world's fourth largest consumer of tea, would harvest its first domestic crop of tea in the year 2001. 

Eight growers with only 9 acres of land between them recently planted the first clonal cuttings provided by Lever Brothers Pakistan. However, a small but well equipped Lever Tea Research Station established in 1989 has been carrying out research activities prior to commencing commercial operations. 

Climatically most of the country's northern hilly areas are suitable for planting tea. The most optimistic surveys have defined about 60,000 hectares as suitable tea growing areas while the conservative show about 14,000 hectares. 

The anticipated yield per hectare, considering the climate and soil conditions of the present plantations is 1,500 kg. Closer to harvest time, Lever Brothers plans to set up a small factory to manufacture black tea. 

Com Cats in Ambalantota

Ambalantota, the most populous town in the Hambantota District was for the first time, provided with CAT automated teller and hi-tech banking facilities when the Commercial Bank's 58th branch was opened there recently.. The new branch is connected to 53 other branches through the ComNet system, providing customers in the area with direct access to the largest computer-linked banking network in the country. 

Quality Management course

The first ever certificate course on quality management for technicians was initiated by the Sri Lanka Association for Quality (SLAQ) on October 23 in the auditorium of the National Insurance Corporation. This course is held on Sundays (morning) and will extend for 24 half day sessions. 

This course covers basic concepts of quality, economics, statistical techniques. Introduction to TQM, ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 is also to be included in the programme so that the participants will be made knowledgeable in modern quality and environment management systems. 

The resource pool is made of those with wide industrial experience and professionals in teaching quality management and the teaching is at the highest professional level that could be provided in Sri Lanka. Many case studies are included as training material to enable the participants to acquire practical knowledge. This programme is expected to meet a widely felt need of the industry. 

WHO, Pharmaceutical Industry Team-up

With one third of the world population deprived of easy access to the most essential drugs and vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the pharmaceutical industry decided to set up a joint working group that will analyse the situation and make recommendations to overcome existing bottlenecks. 

The group will be formed and start its work in the immediate future. Its composition will be agreed in consultation with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IFPMA) which currently represents over 50 national associations of research-based pharmaceutical companies from countries in every WHO region, a WHO release said. 

This decision was taken on October 21 after a four hour meeting organized at WHO in Geneva between Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO's Director General who initiated the meeting, and ten senior representatives of the pharmaceutical industry selected by the IFPMA. 

"The decision we have taken is a first step to benefit an estimated 100 million people worldwide through improved co-operation between the public and private sectors. I am looking forward to further development in this area," stated Dr Brundtland. 

• Dubai firm to manage Beirut terminal
• Two Mexican ports shut to oil tankers
• Dockyard's $5m tug launched
• Major lines feeling impact of Asia's trade imbalance
• Taiwanese ship runs aground killing two
• PSA Chairman honoured 

Dubai firm to manage Beirut terminal

(Dubai) Dubai Ports Authority( DPA) has won a contract to manage Beirut's container terminal, the United Arab Emirates; (UAE) Arabic language daily Al-Ittihad said. 

Fifteen firms were competing for the contract which will begin next year, the DPA's director, Sultan Ibn Sulayem, was quoted by the daily as saying. 

Contractual details are expected to be finalised in talks next month, a DPA spokesman said, although he declined to give a value for the contract. 

The contract which will run for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years, is expected to be based on a fixed payment for every container handled by the terminal. 

DPA will manage the terminal, while Lebanon's Port Developmennt Group will operate it. 

Mr Sulayem said DPA was negotiating to manage a further four ports in the region. He did not elaborate. 

DPA was created in 1991 by the buy-out of the two private companies that were originally contracted to run the two Dubai ports Rashed and Jebel Ali. Dubai, in the north of the UAE, is the world's 10th largest transhipment centre. Last year, 2.6 million TEU (twenty equivalent units) of containers moved through its two ports. 

AFP 

Two Mexican ports shut to oil tankers

[Mexico City] Two Mexican ports in the Gulf of Mexico remained shut to oil tankers recently, port officials said. 

Bad weather in the Gulf of Mexico has kept the crude oil ports Pajaritos and Dos Bocas closed. 

The Communications and Transport Ministry reported that Dos Bocas has reopened. But a port official said only ships supplying oil platforms in the Gulf were being allowed out. He said oil shipments could resume soon. 

An official at Pajaritos said the port remained shut and its status would be reviewed. 

The gulf was hit by heavy rains and winds since last week. 

Pajaritos exported an average 389.000 barrels per day (bpd) of extra-light Olmeca crude in 1997, latest figures from Mexico's oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) showed. Dos Bocas exported an average 502,000 bpd, with shipments including Maya, Olmeca and light Isthmus crude - Reuters. 

Dockyard's $5m tug launched

According to the world's media it would seem that Asia is about to disappear into an economic abyss. During such predictions of doom and gloom, ship building must be one of the first industries to be placed on hold and yet, this does not seem to be the case. 

In fact, ship building is alive and well in Sri Lanka and for that matter, in much of Asia. 

Colombo Dockyard Limited, a publicly quoted company on the Colombo Stock Exchange, launched the 134th vessel it has built at a ceremony on November 6 at the Port of Colombo. 

The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Minister of Port Development & Rehabilitation and Reconstruction M.H.M.Ashraff, PC MP launched the vessel. 

The vessel, a 45 tonne Bollard Pull Berthing Tug is the third such vessel to be commissioned by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. SLPA officials as well as Colombo Dockyard employees were present at the launch. 

Along with the Minister, the Chairman SLPA, the Chairman of CDL and its managing director addressed the gathering at the launching of MT BARANA II which had a project value of US$5,300,000. 

Interim corporate figures for the period ending June 30, 1998 as released by Colombo Dockyard Limited show a substantial increase over the same period a year ago. 

For many, Colombo Dockyard Limited may very well represent the silver lining to that seemingly ever present Asian economic cloud of recent times-at least its many stockholders seem to think. 

Major lines feeling impact of Asia's trade imbalance

By Marcus Hand

Singapore Some of the world's largest shipping lines are struggling to cope with the effects of the Asian crisis which has had a severe impact on their global operations. 

The region's economic woes have resulted in a deepening imbalance of trade, which in turn caused an imbalance between the volumes of import and export containers. 

"The Asian crisis is a real challenge, and in particular managing this container imbalance which is actually getting a lot worse and not better by the day," said Tony Gibson, Singapore General Manager for Anglo Dutch giant P&O Nedlloyd. 

P&O Nedlloyd predicts that the imbalance will widen by at least another 5 to 6 percent next year than at present. 

Currently export volumes out of Asia stand at 100 percent of available capacity while a sharp drop in imports into the region leaves inbound ships on average only 60 percent full. 

The current level of imbalance is costing P&O Nedlloyd a hefty US $10 milion (S$ 16.3 million) a quarter. On top of this, Mr Gibson said that freight rates overall were US $100 per TEU less in the first half of 1998 compared to the same period last year. 

A similarly bleak picture was painted by managers from major Taiwanese and Japanese lines. 

"The picture is not rosy. Even though exports are full there is an imbalance of trade. We are taking at least one import to three exports". said Patrick Phoon, Director of RTW Shipping, Singapore agents for Taiwanese carriers Evergreen and Uniglory Line. 

Tadamasa Ishida, Chairman of NYK Singapore, said that while trade from South-east Asia to North America has increased, import volumes in the region were half the level that they were a year ago. 

The impact of all this is now being seen in the bottom line of carriers, with several major lines sinking into the red this year. 

Orient Overseas (International) OOCL's parent company, lost US $14.6 million in the first half of1998, P&O Nedlloyd reported a pre-tax first half loss of US $30 million, while Singapore's own Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) plunged $241 million into the red in its first half. 

Solutions for the lines to counter the effects of the trade imbalance are however limited. 

"There is nothing much we can do, except hopefully the conference will have a rate increase to offset repositioning costs," said Mr Phoon. 

P&O Nedlloyd's Mr Gibson said that initiatives such as PSA Corp's scheme to start empty container services inside the container terminal helped, but that the bottom line was shipping lines would need further rate increases. 

Commenting on recent complaints by shippers' councils in the region the rate increases further hit shippers already suffering from the effects of the regional crisis, he said that there has to be what he described as "intiatives to improve revenue". 

Taiwanese ship runs aground killing two

Legaspi (Philippines) A Taiwanese ship captain and a compatriot crew member were killed and eight others rescued when their ship ran aground in the Eastern Philippines at the height of Typhoon Babs last week, the coast guard said. 

The recovery of the bodies of Kuo Kao Chan, 59, captain of the Hozimandas and sailor Lim Tok Un, 35, brought the death toll from Babs to 163. 

Legaspi Coast Guard Commander, Lieut. Normando Reyes said eight other crewmen were rescued last Saturday by local fishermen and have been turned over to a Mayor of a nearby eastern Phillippines town. 

Lt. Reyes said the ship was totally wrecked and its rudder and propeller heavily damaged by strong waves. The ship's registry was not yet known, but he said its crew were Taiwanese. 

In Manila, the National Disaster Co-ordinating Council(NDCC) said relief operations were continuing in areas devastated by Babs, which was tracked near Hongkong earlier. 

-AFP 

PSA Chairman honoured 

(Singapore) PSA Chairman Yeo Ning Hong has been conferred an, honorary fellowship from Christ's College, Cambridge University. 

Dr Yeo joins the ranks of fellow honourees which include prominent individuals such as the late Earl Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India: Lord Zuckermann, former chief scientific adviser to the British government and Jeffrey Tate, conductor of the Royal Opera House in London. 

Dr Yeo was formerly a Fellow at Christ's College from 1970-73. 

While still a Doctoral student, he was elected Fellow in 1970 for his research work and was awarded the Charles Darwin Memorial Prize in Natural Sciences. 

Since assuming chairmanship of the then port of Singapore Authority in1994, he has been instrumental in its corporatisation and the subsequent internationalisation of the new PSA Corp. 

PSA currently has eight ports and logistics projects overseas - in China, India, Europe and the Middle East. 

APPOINTMENTS

Q1: We employ ten to fifteen casual employees on daily basis and they are paid at the end of every week. (every Friday). Please let me know whether it is all right to : i. Pay them on a monthly basis ii. Remit E.P.F.at the end of each month. iii. Issue them letters of appointment iv. Employ them continuously without a break? 

You can pay them monthly, remit for EPF, issue them letters of appointment and employ them continuously without break and there is no legal requirement to make them permanent. However, you cannot terminate their services without the consent of the employee or the Commissioner of Labour, under the Termination of Employment Act of 1971, if they have completed one year's service having worked 180 days. 

Q2: We are a private company. Once a charge sheet is issued to the employee can we amend it or add additional charges at an Inquiry?  

The charge sheet can be amended or added to at any time. However, the accused should be given time to submit his explanation to the extra charges, if he makes a request. 

Q3: In my company we wanted the employees of a particular section to do overtime work for four hours as there was an urgent shipment. Ten employees agreed to work but another five workers refused to do overtime. Can I take disciplinary action against these five workers? What is the punishment that I can impose on them? 

It is an implied condition of the contract of employment to work after hours if necessity arises. No business organisation can restrict its hours of work to normal working hours and the employees are required to perform reasonable overtime if required. Therefore as the employer, you have the right to take disciplinary action against the 5 workers who refused overtime work provided they have no satisfactory explanation for refusal of overtime. In a case Ceylon Mercantile Union vs. Associated Newspapers Ltd. the court even held that deliberate refusal of overtime to embarrass the employer justified dismissal. 

Q5: What is the rate of overtime payable to employees in the Cinema Trade?  

Overtime rate for working overtime on normal working days is one and half times. The monthly rate is ascertained by dividing the monthly wage by 200. For working overtime on the short working day the rate is one and three quarter (1 3/4) times. If the employee is employed on overtime on the weekly holiday (which is not necessarily the Sunday), he should be granted overtime at the rate of one and half times the daily rate ascertained by dividing the monthly wage by 23. In addition he should be granted an alternative holiday as lieu leave. 

Colombo better Expo 98 venue

By Asiff Hussein

The outcome of the recently held Expo '98 Fair in Kandy was received with mixed reactions among the participants. Officials of the Export Development Board (EDB) were satisfied that the foreign response, though small, was encouraging. 

The participants, who were all drawn from the Small and Medium Enterprises sector included over 70 stall-holders from the Central Province and l9 from the NorthWestern Province. 

Booths were provided at the concessionary rate of Rs.2500 and Rs.5000 . 

Secretary to the Ministry of Industries, Trade, Commerce and Tourism of the Central Provincial Council, S.B. Rajapakse said that the objective was to provide small and medium-scale producers an export opportunity as well as some exposure to this type of international event . 

He pointed out that the Central Province was not as attractive as the Western Province for investment purposes and hence the need for upgrading the level of professionalism and organisational skills in the Province. 

Many participants, especially those exhibiting for the first time, were satisfied with the response . 

M.P. Pieris, Secretary of the SME Association which represented 15 small and medium scale producers dealing in a wide range of items including spices, pottery and jewellery said that local sales had amounted to Rs.15,000 . 

More importantly, a positive inquiry for the supply of 7 tons of spice items including raw ginger and goraka had come from a local exporter to India and Pakistan. 

Foreign orders included a large Japanese order for treated rubber wood sticks for use as tent pegs, said Mr. Pieris. 

N.P.Weerasinghe, proprietor of the Kandy-based Gills Food Industries which deals in cashew nut products said that his small-scale concern had sales of about Rs. l0,000 while a local buyer had given an order for the supply of 500 kgs of cashew a week 

Tennakoon Karunajeeva of the Matale-based Murthi Ceramics whose participation in the fair was sponsored by the National Design Centre said that sales had been in the region of Rs.5000 while a sizeable order for customised designed porcelain candle-stands had been received from a German party. 

Ashanti Mapitigama of the Kandy-based Ashanti Gallery, a small-scale jewellery designing and manufactunng concern was also quite satisfied with the results . 

Ms.Mapitigama who is exhibiting for the first time in Sri Lanka said that she got a lot of exposure, with many exporters having expressed their willingness to work with her. 

Mohamed Azam, young proprietor of the Kurunegala-based MAZ Mega Power Antenna Industries which manufactures locally designed and patented multi-channel antennas suited for all climes was also extremely pleased with the outcome, having received assurances for the purchase of 3000 antennas from the Ministries of Defence and Commerce. 

Positive inquiries came from two French parties and a South African party. They are expected to get back to the company through the EDB. Some participants however were not too pleased with the response. 

Muriel Nilaweera, Proprietress of Kandyan United Exporters which deals in medicinal herbs and pot pourri air freshners said that this year's fair was not up to expectations and that there was not much response from foreign parties. 

She said the venue was unsuitable for this type of event and suggested that the exhibition should have been held in Colombo. 

Another producer of spice packs said that they had hardly any foreign visitors. He too opined that there had not been enough promotion internationally on the part of the EDB. He also suggested that provincial fairs of this sort should be held in Colombo with all provinces except for the Western Province participating. 

He however said that the loss at the fair could be somewhat rectified if the EDB put the list of exhibitors and their products on the Internet as promised. 

Additional Director General of the EDB, Geoffrey Tillekeratne, however justified the choice of the venue. 

He said that a survey conducted by team of EDB officials had located Hotel Suisse as the best possible venue, as it met the criteria necessary for such an event, the availability of a fairly large area and the ability to convey a proper image necessary for an event of this nature. 

A new design every 3 months

Peninsula Garments, the manufacturers of Maxwin, Initial and Prodigy range of men's shirts recently introduced the Exclusive Executive's Choice range to the local market. The shirts which are manufactured locally with quality Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian and Indonesian fabrics will be distributed by the company's islandwide network, comprising 340 sales outlets. 

The company's Marketing Consultant, Khalil-ur-Rahman said that a marketing team is presently conducting a survey to ascertain the preferences of clients with regard to material, colour and design. He noted that the company would be revising its designs every three months. The company's promotional campaign will include discounts for corporate clients and a mobile call service within Colombo city limits, he added. 

HNB - Trinco moves to new premises

Hatton National Bank Trincomalee branch moved into a very spacious premises of its own on November 7. The Managing Director Rienzie T. Wijetilleke, senior Deputy General Manager, M. U. de Silva, Assistant General Managers Chandula Abeywickrema and Mrs Siromi Wickremasinghe and Leo Perera, Security & Investigations Co-ordinator and several other Senior officers from Colombo were present at the opening where a large gathering of customers and wellwishers were present. 

Among them were the first Manager of the Trincomalee branch when it was opened in 1974 and many of the first day customers. 

Mr. Wijetilleke said that HNB which commenced its operations in 1970 had opened branches both in Jaffna and Trincomalee followed by Vavuniya and Mannar during its formative years realizing the potential available in these areas for banking services. These branches have been functioning very smoothly over the last 2 1/2 years despite the security problems in these areas. 

Sampath Bancs 2000 for corporate clients

Sampath Bank is introducing a new software system called 'Bancs 2000' which will be linked to the internet. This system will enable customers to use their computer (Sampath Web for Corporate Customers) to access their accounts via the internet. 

"It's mostly aimed at the corporate customer, though no extra fee would be charged," CEO/General Manager Sampath Bank, Kumar Abayanayaka said. 

Telebanking facility offered by Sampath Bank at present enables customers to transfer monies from their account, order a cheque book, issue a bank statement. But customers are unable to give authority to the bank to pay their utility bills, nor can he give instructions to open a letter of credit. 

While telebanking is popular amongst retail customers, home banking (use of computer to carry out bank transactions) is popular among corporate customers, he said. 

The system has been purchased from Infosys in Bangalore, India. The local agents are Millenium IT. 

"We have spent about US$ 3 mn for this system," he said. "Things would be in place by the end of this year. Once all the preliminary tests are finished by June next year, we should be able to offer it to our customers," he said. 

Sampath Bank, has generally been known as trail blazers in innovative banking. It was not technology alone that brought about a revolution but the type of customer orientation that was introduced to the bank from its inception, he said. 

Gateway at Bamba

Gateway Kids School of Computing opened its fourth branch in Colombo last week at Vajira Road, Bambalapitiya. 

Over 1100 students between the ages of 4 to 14 years are currently undergoing training at Gateway. The chief guest at the opening of the new centre was Dr. Arthur C. Clarke. He said that he is most impressed with the facilities provided at Gateway. 

The training at Gateway is based on the British National Curriculum of Information and Communication Technology. Gateway is the only organisation in South Asia which is approved by the International Curriculum & Assessment Agency (ICAA). 

Due to this affiliation Gateway is able to offer the Primary and Secondary Information Technology Certificate of Competence (ITCC) schemes. These schemes are currently offered in more than 2000 centres in the world in countries such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. 

A dress label that stands out

Sona Mandhir has created a niche market for itself in Indian high fashion wear and is being accepted as an outlet to capture all Indian ethnic wear from head to toe. The cities of Bomaby, Delhi and Bangalore are reputed for their fashion-wear. Sona Mandhir representatives regularly visit these cities to procure the latest designs, says a company release. 

Ms. Sharmila Sathar, proprietor and designer, has been in business for the past six years. She has identified the taste of the Sri Lankan market, and travels around the world sourcing suppliers for the identified markets. This commitment to quality and high fashion has created a name for Sona Mandhir. The selection of Indian fashion collection of 100% silk to 100% cotton are made to suit different occasions. Sharmila's collection of ladies' wear has been designed by elite Bombay Designers as well as some reputed free-lancers. She liaises directly with the designers and gets the latest outfits that the market demands in the right fashions and colours. 

In comparison to many other outlets offering Indian wear, the Sona Mandhir label stands out with its very tasteful colours and feminine designs created on rich cottons, Iinen and washed silks. We have repeatedly held special Annual Exhibition and Sales similar to 'Colours of India' in the past to compliment our valued customers.

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