Healthy competition: motivation for industry

Your educational background?

I studied at S. Thomas' College. But did my O/Ls in England. I did my A/L in Sri Lanka in 1985 and left for England again for a short period.

I had my university education at the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. I have a double major in Business and Artificial Intelligence.

I worked for a company in the USA in Management Consultancy Practice for 6 years. and I returned to Sri Lanka in 1996 and joined the Post Graduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura.

Did your father, Dr.Victor Hettigoda being the chairman of the Hettigoda Industries help you to become the Managing Director of that company?

After my university education, I got a job in the USA. I am a permanent resident and Green Card holder. Initially I decided to settle down there. My father never influenced me on that decision.

I had no idea of coming back to Sri Lanka and taking over my father's business. In 1995 I was promoted as the Senior Manager of the company I worked. It's one of the largest Accounting Consultant companies in the world.

I have the distinction of being the first Sri Lankan ever to be promoted to that level. But I turned down that offer and returned home and was with my father for three months.

During that time I realised that the contribution I can make for the country is immense.

Believe me, having worked in the top executive level in the USA for more than six years for a salary of $80,000, I had to work for a very low salary in my father's company.

When I told that to my father, he agreed to offer me a salary of one hundredth of that amount. At the beginning, my father didn't make me the MD of the company straightaway.

I had to be my father's peon. I had to sweep floors, wash vehicles and do all floor level work. Because of that, today I have the knack of understanding my employees.

My father agreed to offer me the position of MD after observing how I worked for a couple of years.

I spent the first 6 years studying people. And I had to adjust to the Sri Lankan way of working. I also had to learn how to run a family business in a country like Sri Lanka. The system here is completely defferent from that of the USA and I had no prior experience in working in Sri Lanka. Unlike in the West, here the culture and the religion play a major role.

It's a challenging experience from being a minor employee at my father's company to become the MD of the same company later.

Any established company has its co-business. What about your's?

We too have a division in our company which manufacture exclusive gift items. It's a separate and very small part of the company. Since 'Siddhalepa' has been known as a commercially available consumer product in Sri Lanka, people are least aware of our co-business which manufacture very exclusive soaps, creams and gift items which range from Rs. 10,000 and above.

Those items aim at top customers and are not sold in Sri Lanka. What is special in those products is that they're packed in silver containers and made of recycled banana leaves and other natural material.

They go into top hotels in the world. And certain top companies offer them as compliments for their exclusive customers.

'Siddhalepa' is a company which manufacture 'Ayurvedic products. Does it mean that your products are 100 per cent free of chemicals?

Chemicals are not used in the 'Ayurvedic' system. Our products especially, soaps are handmade using 'Ayurvedic' oils in different shapes and are distinguished from other soaps available in the market.

Though the 'Ayurvedic' system has been in Sri Lanka for more than 3000 years, it is not much popular here in comparison to the west. Do you think that you don't have good market opportunities in Sri Lanka?

"Though reluctantly, I have to say that Sri Lankans are a nation who do not appreciate their own things. Instead they are ever ready to embrace whatever comes from the West.

We Sri Lankans should be proud that we have such a prestigious history of 'Ayurveda'.

The main reason for Sri Lankans' attitude is that they have been colonised and as a result they are not proud of their own products. Unlike today, our ancestors did not have tablets. They had used all natural (Ayurvedic) methods to healing and they had been very successful.

Western medicine was introduced to Sri Lanka recently, may be, 200 years ago, and it has been widespread and abundantly available due to the fact I mentioned earlier, that people here embrace whatever comes from the west.

But for instance, a country such as India too has been a colony but their 'Ayurvedic' system has been able to overshadow the western medical system. The Indian government allocates a considerably big amount for the development of the 'Ayurvedic' system.

The 'Ayurvedic' system in India is given a huge recognition and there are a lot of 'Ayurvedic' institutions and people value and keep faith in the `Ayurvedic' treatment.

In Sri Lanka, the government's support to improve the 'Ayurveda' and indigenous medicine is comparatively less than that given to western medicines.

Also people are not given sufficient education on `Ayurveda'. Therefore I would say, Sri Lanka is not the best country to promote `Ayurvedic' products. Here no recognition, no acceptance and no benefits for 'Ayurveda'. Under such circumstances, I would proudly say that our company has done great in familiarising the 'Ayurvedic' system in Sri Lanka despite people's attitude and all kinds of barricades.

How can the 'Ayurvedic System' be popularised in Sri Lanka?

More emphasis should be given to identifying herbs by children in their backyard. If children are inculcated on the side effects of chemicals, they would be able to identify the positive side and the numerous benefits of the `Ayurvedic' method.

If 'Ayurveda' can be included in the school curriculum, children will be more familiar with medicines which are grown in their backyard. If children are encouraged to grow herbs in their gardens at home and school, they would identify and would be knowledgeable to treat a minor illness, using what is available in their surroundings.

`Ayurvedic' medicine is totally natural and devoid of side effects. That knowledge will be with everyone and if the method is applied, country would do better and its people would be much healthier.

Government should develop an 'Ayurvedic' hospital network and institutions for the study of 'Ayurvedic' and indigenous medicine'. If the 'Ayurvedic' method is well established, people can 100 per cent get rid of western medicine which often has side effects. Government doesn't have to spend a lot of money and send people abroad to learn western medicine. Anyone can study 'Ayurveda' in Sri Lanka.

There are many companies which manufacture `Ayurvedic' products. How do you face the competition with them?

Competitions are natural and inevitable. A healthy competition always provides a good motivation for any industry. Paradoxically competitions are essential to change. If there were no urge to compete, the organisation would either be in a state of apathy or complacency.

When it comes to our business, 'Siddhalepa' company is well established as a household name in the country.

It's the first in the market to introduce many 'Ayurvedic' items such as a balm in the 1930s, toothpaste (Supirivicky) soap (visaka) and capsules. As long as we do not cease to produce new items we always have a good competition.

When the competitors produce new things, in order to survive in the market, certainly the particular company has to explore new arenas to bring out a much better and unique products than the other.

In Sri Lanka, we don't have a big competition as there are only a few companies who manufacture 'Ayurvedic' products. So, we always have to look for our prospects in the global arena. In the global market, we are ranked as the No. 03. We are competing mostly with Indian companies. Their large population in comparison to Sri Lanka plays a major role in business.

Hettigoda' Industries is the only 'Ayurveda' company which consists of several divisions for manufacture, plantations, hospitals, hotels and spas. No other Ayurveda company in the world possesses such diverse network.

As I said we have to face a huge competition with India. Unlike in Sri Lanka, the biggest asset they have is its people's patriotism. No matter where they are, they always look for their own products.

Even though the situation is such, we still have the competitive edge over India. We have already started our operation in India. We hope to get a sizable market share in India at least in the 'Siddhalepa' balm market within five years time.

'Siddhalepa' is available in many cities in India. Of course in Europe, 'Siddhalepa' is one of the top 'Ayurvedic' brand.

Moreover,our spas are set up in exclusive neighbourhoods in populated cities in various countries such as Germany and Czech Republic.

How was the brand name " Siddhalepa" derived?

" Siddhalepa" is the name given by my grandfather to the balm we manufactured in the 1934. "Siddhalepa" derives from Sanskrit. " Siddha" was a group of ascetics (Rishis) who lived in India who had supernatural psychic powers.

They had used a formula which could heal any ailment. When my grandfather was studying in India, due to his high calibre performance, the secret was taught to him by his Guru. When he returned home, he produced a balm using that special formula.

As a respect to the Siddha Rishis who used this formula, he named it " Siddhalepa" - the balm of Siddhas.

My grandfather wrote a book "What you can do with Siddhalepa" which consists of forty pages with specific details on how to use "Siddhalepa" for various aches.

Pic: Priyantha Hettige