Business

Sri Lankan hair extension specialist benefits from export order surge

Published

2 years ago

2025/01/27

Thilina Walpola

Kaveesha Bethmage

Says SL should be part of the billion-dollar industry

By Sanath Nanayakkare

One may often hear panelists at business forums waxing eloquent about domestic value additions to imported raw materials for re-export and earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.

But one would rarely hear about a self-made Sri Lankan woman entrepreneur who is slowly but steadily attracting global attention towards Sri Lanka — for transforming imported human hair supply into stylish hair solutions for women — who face loss of hair and suffer from low esteem.

The Island Financial Review recently had an interview with the presidential award-winning hair extension specialist, Dr. Kaveesha Bethmage who is the owner /CEO of Salon Kaveesha International (Pvt) Ltd in Dematagoda where 30-hair extension artisans are employed.

“No matter which country we are from and what our differences may be, we all have a strong view of hair. Hair is a subject that is very important to women and their self-esteem. We often see our hair as a reflection of our identity because it is both personal and public. The positive or negative view of hair can greatly affect a woman. Hair, its length, texture and colour, all affect how a person looks and how they will be perceived. Lack of hair is not only directly associated with the appearance of a woman, but it also can significantly contribute to a loss of confidence resulting in many other negative personal implications. This is especially important for women with medical conditions that result in receding hairline. Needless to say more, hair is one of the assets for women”, says Kaveesha.

“Salon Kaveesha’s hair extensions are a quick fix for length and volume. Our products make our clients feel more confident as they blend with their own hair. This is always custom work, and my team is well-trained to adapt the extensions to the client’s hair structure, texture, colour and style preferences”, she says.

Delving into the pig picture of the industry she says,” Only a very few people know that the hair extension industry is more or less like the jewellery industry because the raw materials of both industries are valuable and hard to find. However, there is a distinct difference between the two supplies. A woman with the right volume of hair can look stunning without any jewellery. But the other way round is never true. This is why the hair extension industry is a billion-dollar industry in the world.

Sri Lanka can claim a sizable market share in this industry as many foreigners wouldn’t mind travelling to Sri Lanka to get this service and enjoy a short stay here,” “We already have a lot of expats coming to get our products and services. Our newly launched website has paved the way for us to receive an increasing number of orders from the USA, Canada, UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, the Middle East etc. Our AI-driven online platform enables virtual hair extension try-on for potential clients. So, they can see themselves virtually with their preferred hair extensions and place their orders. Usually, the lead time for delivery of an export order is about two weeks, and the prices vary according to the type and style of the chosen extension,” Kaveesha says.

“We have a range of hair extensions for those who can visit Sri Lanka as well as who can’t physically be here, but love to use our products after virtually experiencing it. I am glad that we have seen an increase in the number of online orders since we started exporting in 2020, on a small scale during covid-19 pandemic. The salon was founded in 2003, and our hard work has paid off with our export footprint. I think it’s high time we expanded our business to make it more industrial and globally competitive, and be more visible to the global audiences,” she says.

Kaveesha’s local clientele comprises celebrities, professionals, businesspeople, academics, politicians among other clients.

“Now we want to sell our hair products to the entire world. With this objective in mind, I am planning to establish a new hair products factory including the salon near the Katunayake International Airport to provide easy access to my clients. Then they can have their desired hair extensions within minutes of leaving the arrivals terminal. I know from experience that is how fast they want this critical service.” she says.

According to her, the new eco-friendly facility will cost about Rs. 45 million and it will create at least 60 jobs for industry veterans and novices.

“Our vision is to take Salon Kaveesha to international prominence as a leading provider in the hair and beauty industry. I am confident that the banks I deal with, will support me in financing the new project given the establishment’s proven track record, and my industry experience of more than 20 years.” she says.

Kaveesha points out that one challenge for her business is getting the right equipment and accessories for her trade.

“Hair extensions, hair-to-hair transplants and making innovative hair products from finest human hair is a specialized trade. But we can hardly find the sophisticated tools in Sri Lanka for it. We have to go abroad from time to time to purchase them,” she says.

Buddini Jayanika, manager at Salon Kaveesha said that they have donated many hair wigs to women in marginalized groups who faced hair-loss due to medical conditions and couldn’t afford to buy one. She also mentioned that her CEO believes in giving back to society, and therefore, Salon Kaveesha supports several CSR activities.

The embellishment annually donates hair extensions to cancer patients and underprivileged individuals to boost their confidence and self-esteem. It also provides stationery to students of disabled army soldiers every year to support their education.

Kaveesha’s husband, Lasantha Bethmage is an investor cum director of the establishment.

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Business

Needs of populace hit by Cyclone Ditwah seen as waiting to be addressed

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Lionel Bopage: ‘Recovery painfully slow.’

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

The government is yet to address fully the needs of the Cyclone Ditwah affected populace though one year has elapsed. The devastation cost the country more than US $ 4.1 billion, an Australia-based Chartered Engineer of Sri Lankan origin said.

‘Cyclone Ditwah affected more than 2.2 million people in 25 districts, which is considered to be one tenth of the population. However, only 39 percent of the allocated funds have been spent to date, the speaker, a one-time General Secretary of the JVP, now living in Australia Lionel Bopage said.

He made these comments at a Rotary Club Colombo South monthly meeting held at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo recently.

Bopage quoted from a Loughborough University research report published in February to the effect that Sri Lanka has under invested in prevention but over invested in recovery.

Bopage added: ‘The largest single economic category affected were not buildings but the agriculture sector which provides livelihoods for the majority of affected persons. Therefore agricultural livelihoods have been hit most.

‘More than 58,000 hectares of paddy lands were flooded in the Eastern districts alone, while 46 reservoirs reached critical spill level or failed outright following the disaster.

‘A rapid education sector assessment found that 1,682 schools were affected and more than 555,000 children were unable to attend schools. Further, 622 water supply schemes had been left non-functional and apart from that 11300 homes were damaged or destroyed. But reconstruction is happening at a very slow pace.

‘Tens of thousands of households in the hill country and in the East are still living in damaged properties and on unstable slopes drawing water from schemes that have not been restored.

‘ A Post Disaster Needs Assessment put the cost of resilience at US$ 3.4 billion but restoration work is happening at a slow pace even with foreign donor assistance.’

Business

WB forecast buoys bourse but weak investor participation slows momentum

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

The CSE yesterday kicked off on a positive note due to a World Bank forecast that Sri Lanka could achieve 4.4 percent economic growth this year but later lost momentum due to weak investor participation.

Amid those developments both indices moved upwards. The All Share Price Index went up by 132 points while S and P SL20 rose by 21.02 points.

Turnover stood at Rs 1.97 billion with three crossings. Those crossings were; Lanka IOC 2.7 million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 470 million; its shares traded at Rs 127, CCS 2.7 million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 315 million; its shares sold at Rs 118 and JKH five million shares crossed for Rs 91.5 million; its shares traded at Rs 18.30.

In the retail market companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Commercial Credit and Finance Rs 126 million (1.3 million shares traded), Lanka IOC Rs 98 million (775,000 shares traded), Asiri Surgical Hospitals Rs 77 million (7.6 million shares traded), Commercial Bank Rs 51.3 million (307,000 shares traded), Sampath Bank Rs 46 million (325,000 shares traded), HNB Rs 37 million (98000 shares traded) and Tokyo Cement Rs 31 million (393,000 shares traded). During the day 50 million share volumes changed hands in 14547 transactions.

It is said that the petroleum sector performed well, especially Lanka IOC, while in the banking sector counters, especially Commercial Bank and Sampath Bank performed well. In the manufacturing sector, JKH impressed.

TAL Lanka Hotels announced that it has scheduled an Extraordinary General Meeting on October 29 to obtain shareholder approval for a proposed Rs 1.87 billion rights issue. The proceeds will be utilized for the repayment of bank borrowings, part refurbishment of the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo, settlement of vendor liabilities, and general corporate requirements.

Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 330.95/331.05 to the US dollar in the spot market, weaker from Rs 330.85/95 the previous day, while bond yields were quoted broadly steady, dealers said.

Business

Huawei continues to showcase practical AI applications at Sri Lanka AI Week 2026

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka AI Week 2026 continued into its second day bringing together government, industry, academia and technology partners to explore practical applications of artificial intelligence. As the AI Technology Partner for the second consecutive year, Huawei showcased 18 use cases spanning government, education, finance, industry, green energy and everyday life, demonstrating how AI can be applied to real-world needs.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited the Huawei exhibition together with officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, experiencing the Smart Classroom, AI in Education and MindGraph by Beijing Normal University demonstrations. The Smart Classroom demostration highlighted how connected technologies can bring teachers and students in different locations into a shared learning environment, while the AI in Education showcase demonstrated how AI can support teachers, enhance learning and enable more personalised education. The Prime Minister praised the efforts of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Huawei and their partners to demonstrate practical applications of AI in education, noting the role of technology in supporting teachers, expanding learning opportunities, and advancing a more inclusive, equitable and future-ready education system.

Later in the day, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Sri Dhanapala, and Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang visited the Huawei exhibition and explored the AI Hands-On Classroom AI Empowering Industry, AI in Education and Smart Classroom demonstrations. Deputy Minister Weeraratne praised Huawei’s practical approach to showcasing AI applications, noting their relevance to Sri Lanka’s digital transformation across education, industry and skills development. The engagement also extended across the wider AI ecosystem, with industry professionals, technology partners, academics and other visitors engaging with the demonstrations and expressing appreciation for Huawei’s practical approach to applying AI across different areas of society and the economy.

Daniel Wu, CEO of Huawei Sri Lanka, said that Huawei will continue bringing global experience, technology and ecosystem resources to Sri Lanka, while working side by side with local partners to build local capabilities, develop local talent and create real value for the country. “I believe that by working together, we can make AI not only more intelligent, but also more local, more inclusive, and more meaningful for everyone,” he said.