CEAT Kelani Holdings has launched a new community project to support the education of children of rubber cultivators – a critical element of its supply chain.
The manufacturer of half of Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre requirements with 100 per cent of its natural rubber needs sourced from local producers that support some 10,000 cultivator families, CEAT has begun distributing schoolbags, stationery and other educational requisites to schools in rubber growing areas.
Part of the ‘CEAT Cares’ portfolio of good citizenship initiatives, the programme’s first phase focusing on the Matugama Educational Zone, is executed with the support of the Sri Lanka Army, a major user of CEAT tyres.
The first two schools to benefit from the programme were the Pallegoda Tamil School in Pallegoda and the Miriswatta Tamil School in Ittapana, which were visited by representatives of CEAT and the Sri Lanka Army recently. A total of 119 children received school bags, shoes and stationery items as well as a nutritious lunch after the distribution ceremony.
Commenting on the programme, CEAT Kelani Managing Director Mr Ravi Dadlani said: “Because rubber cultivators are integral to our tyre manufacturing process, the challenges they encounter in their daily lives must concern us. The education of children is becoming increasingly expensive and we believe we can help offset some of the costs and help reduce the rate of dropping out. This aligns well with our Corporate Social Responsibility objectives.”
The launch of the programme at the two schools was attended by Mr Dadlani, CEAT Kelani Chief Operating Officer Mr Shamal Gunawardene and senior management of CEAT Kelani Holdings, Major General R. A. J. N. Ranasingha, Brigadier M. W. S. Millagala and other senior officers of the Sri Lanka Army, officials of the Matugama Zonal Education Administration, and CEAT dealers from the area.
In a separate initiative, CEAT Kelani has also started hosting rubber cultivators for conducted tours of the company’s extensive manufacturing complex in Kelaniya, providing them with an insight into the intricacies of producing high-performance tyres for the domestic and export markets.
The largest domestic manufacturer of cross-ply and radial tyres in Sri Lanka, CEAT Kelani’s manufacturing operations encompass pneumatic tyres in the radial (passenger cars, vans and SUVs), commercial (Bias-ply and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments. The CEAT brand originated in Italy and is backed by German manufacturing technology and extensive research and testing facilities in India and Europe. CEAT Kelani Holdings exports about 20 per cent of its production to 16 countries and plays a significant role in helping the national economy conserve foreign exchange by reducing dependence on imported tyres.