Italian business footprint in SL increases with Benji’s US$35 million expansion

In 1999, a renowned Italian business firm entered Sri Lanka and invested in the garment sector. Calzedonia first invested in the Omega Line. The firm first focused on the European market, followed by Sirio Limited and Alpha Apparel investments. Benji Limited began making bra cups, briefs, and bras for women in 2006. Calzedonia eventually changed its name to Oniverse, but the group’s operations continue to grow and spread worldwide.

Benji Limited and the BOI inked an expansion agreement for US$35 million. The company’s parent company, Oniverse, opted to invest more investment in Sri Lanka, citing its extensive understanding of the local business ecosystem and renewed confidence in the normalization of business in the country.

Giorgio Montresor, CEO and Managing Director of Benji underlined the importance of Sri Lanka’s human resources in attracting new investment. He also remarked that young Sri Lankans are very capable of learning new technologies, and their work ethic is among the greatest in the world. All of the group’s companies currently employ about 15,000 people.

Currently, Benji manufactures 30 million bra cups. This fresh capital injection will bring in new technology-driven machines with increased capacity and improved quality. We expect a 35% increase in production. All group firms source bra cups from Benji, reducing imports of bra cups from China to nil. As a result, this investment will not only increase foreign exchange inflows but also reduce dollar outflows.