Life style

Walking down aisle of success

Published

6 years ago

2020/08/9

by Zanita Careem

Nelum is a self-motivated individual, marked by her single-minded quest for success and achievement.She is breaking stereotypes with her talent, and inspiring countless women. Nelum’s strong determination to be independent, influenced her to be an entrepreneur. A fashion icon, who makes statements in any outfit at any place.

Nelum Haththella is the founder and editor of “Brides Of Sri Lanka” magazine, the premier bridal and wedding magazine is Sri Lanka. A graduate of Edith Cowan University, Australia with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and IT, Nelum started exploring her many talents from a very young age.

As the daughter of film producer Florence Haththella, she acted in films and teledramas as a child and moved on to modeling for TV commercials. At the same time she also explored her writing skills and won Young Writer of the Year in 1995 for her poetry. Soon after graduating, she got married to Viraj Rajapakse, a pilot and moved to the Maldives, where she worked as a manager for an IT and software development firm.

05Upon returning to Sri Lanka for her confinement, she completed a Diploma in HR and soon after formed her publishing company and hence the birth of Brides Of Sri Lanka, HealthWise and Mangalyaa. She proved her excellent entrepreneurial skills she inherited from her mother when she won Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015, in the medium business category.

With such accolades, this inspiring lady is still continuing her explorations of talents and is now using her spare time to share her passion for food and travel via Food & Travel Escapades by Nel – a Youtube channel and social media blog. She uses this platform to share her exquisite recipes, food reviews, travel destinations with videos and photos.

How did your business come into being

I founded my company in December 2006 with the website www.bridesofsrilanka.com which was designed to bridge the gap between Wedding Planning and Technology. At the time, the use of the World Wide Web for planning a wedding was novel to Sri Lanka, but was widely embraced by young tech savvy couples. They found the features of my website to be time saving and extremely useful; especially the prospective brides and grooms living overseas. Then six month later, I decided to release a printed version of the website in a magazine form (Brides Of Sri Lanka magazine), which too became a favorite among brides and grooms. And ever since, we’ve been growing and now are proudly onboard Sri Lankan Airlines, is the media partner for reputed wedding expos in Sri Lanka and overseas and the two-time Gold Winner at the Sri Lanka Print Awards (2019 & 2020). We are also the only wedding magazine available for worldwide readership on all digital media platforms including Magzter, Online, Android & iOS Apps.

A few years ago, we also released Mangalyaa, a wedding magazine to satiate the Sinhala readership.

What has been the best and hardest thing about being an entrepreneur

There best things would be how I am able to create job opportunities to many and empower them with my expertise and knowledge, how am I able to aspire many youngsters to follow their dreams and venture into businesses and mostly importantly how I am able to be a part of the success story of my clients who are our advertisers.

The hardest thing would be to decide when to take a break, as you can get quite addicted to doing what you love.

Your passion and advise to young entrepreneurs

My passion is to be of help to others. My advice to young entrepreneurs is to start business with innovative ideas and products which makes you unique and indispensable. As a youngster, it is very easy to get carried away with what your heart believes in and overrule what your head tells you, but if you whole-heartedly believe in your business model, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Be persistent, resilient and take every hurdle as a learning experience. You are the only one standing your way to success!

Can woman have it all? Share your takes on this

Of course a woman can have it all! The biggest mistake most people make is think that being a woman is a disadvantage to becoming successful – on the contrary, women by nature are gifted with far more better characteristic such as endurance, resilience, tolerance, empathy and ability to multi-task, to name a few. Woman or man, having it all totally depends on how badly you want to have it all and what you are going to do about it.

What do think of women in sri lanka how do you think it can be better

I think of Sri Lankan women are extraordinary creatures – especially if you look at our history, we’ve had some remarkable women. We’ve had the first woman prime minister and president in the world; so we really can’t say women are oppressed or lack social representation in this country. If we stand our ground for what what we believe in, we are definitely heard. Sadly, however, I feel women in this country don’t maximize their potential due to various reasons. Most often they end their careers to prioritize family soon after marriage making them depend on their husbands for financial support. And funnily enough, most often it is women who encourage women to do this and make them feel that it is a woman’s duty to give up their dreams and careers for the family’s sake. The duty of maintaining the wellbeing of the family has to borne by both husband and wife, not wife alone. As long as we don’t change the mindset of people to treat a woman as an equal in marriage, we will not develop as a nation! We need to empower our daughters with education and financial independence. It is only then a woman can live with her head held high and never have the reason to feel inferior to any!

With so many magazines around what is that thing which separates your magazine from others

Novelty and the use of modern technologies from graphic design, pre-press to printing. Over the years I think we’ve mastered it to the point our printer won Gold twice consecutively at the Sri Lanka Print Awards for Brides Of Sri Lanka magazine in 2019 and 2020 in the magazine and periodicals category. We’ve always been trendsetters and kept ourselves far ahead of competition, because our challenge has always been to better ourselves from where we are.

Why a bridal magazine?

A wedding in Sri Lanka is a greatly celebrated milestone in one’s life. And I know the dilemmas I faced as a young bride when I was planning my own wedding many years ago. Wedding planning period is a very trying time for a young girl as she is new to the whole experience and is caught in a web of opinions of parents, relatives, friends and wedding professionals. I wanted the best information resource for such young brides where they are guided to choose the most unique ideas and best vendors to plan their most memorable day. And with our international exposure, I am able to showcase the great talents we have in Sri Lanka to the rest of the world, making our island nation the best wedding destination.

Your husband’s role in supporting you

Right after God, he’s my go-to for advice, support and help. Being the youngest of four, I was very strictly raised by my mother who was a young window. I always say I earned my freedom the day I got married. Viraj and I started our courtship at a very young age and he’s become my best friend. He extremely supportive and believes in everything I do and that has given me the utmost freedom to do take up any challenge or risk without fear. It is very important to find a life partner who embarks on life’s journey, not in front of you or behind you, but right next to you, holding your hand along the way.

Courtesy: Outfits by Aslam Hussein of GeeBees Designer

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Life style

Salman Faiz leads with vision and legacy

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

At the helm - blending heritage with vision

Salman Faiz has turned his family legacy into a modern sensory empire. Educated in London, he returned to Sri Lanka with a global perspective and a refined vision, transforming the family legacy into a modern sensory powerhouse blending flavours,colours and fragrances to craft immersive sensory experiences from elegant fine fragrances to natural essential oils and offering brand offerings in Sri Lanka. Growing up in a world perfumed with possibility, Aromatic Laboratories (Pvt) Limited founded by his father he has immersed himself from an early age in the delicate alchemy of fragrances, flavours and essential oils.

Salman Faiz did not step into Aromatic Laboratories Pvt Limited, he stepped into a world already alive with fragrance, precision and quiet ambition. Long before he became the Chairman of this large enterprise, founded by his father M. A. Faiz and uncle M.R. Mansoor his inheritance was being shaped in laboratories perfumed with possibility and in conversations that stretched from Colombo to outside the shores of Sri Lanka, where his father forged early international ties, with the world of fine fragrance.

Growing up amidst raw materials sourced from the world’s most respected fragrance houses, Salman Faiz absorbed the discipline of formulation and the poetry of aroma almost by instinct. When Salman stepped into the role of Chairman, he expanded the company’s scope from a trusted supplier into a fully integrated sensory solution provider. The scope of operations included manufacturing of flavours, fragrances, food colours and ingredients, essential oils and bespoke formulations including cosmetic ingredients. They are also leading supplier of premium fragrances for the cosmetic,personal care and wellness sectors Soon the business boomed, and the company strengthened its international sourcing, introduced contemporary product lines and extended its footprint beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

Where raw materials transform into refined fragrance

Salman Faiz -carrying forward a legacy

Today, Aromatic Laboratories stands as a rare example of a second generation. Sri Lankan enterprise that has retained its soul while embracing scale and sophistication. Under Salman Faiz’s leadership, the company continues to honour his father’s founding philosophy that every scent and flavour carries a memory, or story,and a human touch. He imbibed his father’s policy that success was measured not by profit alone but the care taken in creation, the relationships matured with suppliers and the trust earned by clients.

“We are one of the leading companies manufacturing fragrances, dealing with imports,exports in Sri Lanka. We customise fragrances to suit specific applications. We also source our raw materials from leading French company Roberte’t in Grasse

Following his father, for Salman even in moments of challenge, he insisted on grace over haste, quality over conveniences and long term vision over immediate reward under Salman Faiz’s stewardship the business has evolved from a trusted family enterprise into a modern sensory powerhouse.

Now the company exports globally to France, Germany, the UK, the UAE, the Maldives and collaborates with several international perfumes and introduces contemporary products that reflect both sophistication and tradition.

We are one of the leading companies. We are one of the leading companies manufacturing fine and industrial fragrance in Sri Lanka. We customise fragrances to suit specific applications said Faiz

‘We also source our raw materials from renowned companies, in Germany, France, Dubai,Germany and many others.Our connection with Robertet, a leading French parfume House in Grasse, France runs deep, my father has been working closely with the iconic French company for years, laying the foundation for the partnership, We continue even today says Faiz”

Today this business stands as a rare example of second generation Sri Lankan entrepreneurship that retains its souls while embracing scale and modernity. Every aroma, every colour and every flavour is imbued with the care, discipline, and vision passed down from father to son – a living legacy perfected under Salmon Faiz’s guidance.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

Home coming with a vision

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

Uruwela Estate team

Harini and Chanaka cultivating change

When Harini and Chanaka Mallikarachchi returned to Sri Lanka after more than ten years in the United States, it wasn’t nostalgia alone that they brought home . It was purpose.Beneath the polished resumes and strong computer science backgrounds lay something far more personal- longing to reconnect with the land, and to give back to the country that shaped their memories. From that quiet but powerful decision was born Agri Vision not just an agricultural venture but a community driven movement grounded in sustainability ,empowerment and heritage. They transform agriculture through a software product developed by Avya Technologies (Pvt Limited) Combining global expertise with a deep love for their homeland, they created a pioneering platform that empowers local farmers and introduce innovative, sustainable solutions to the country’s agri sector.

After living for many years building lives and careers in theUnited States, Harini and Chanaka felt a powerful pull back to their roots. With impressive careers in the computer and IT sector, gaining global experience and expertise yet, despite their success abroad, their hearts remained tied to Sri Lanka – connection that inspired their return where they now channel their technological know-how to advance local agriculture.

For Harini and Chanaka, the visionaries behind Agri Vision are redefining sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka. With a passion for innovation and community impact, they have built Agri Vision into a hub for advanced agri solutions, blending global expertise with local insight.

In Sri Lanka’s evolving agricultural landscape, where sustainability and authenticity are no longer optional but essential. Harini and Chanaka are shaping a vision that is both rooted and forward looking. In the heart of Lanka’s countryside, Uruwela estate Harini and Chanaka alongside the ever inspiring sister Malathi, the trio drives Agri Vision an initiative that fuses cutting edge technology with age old agricultural wisdom. At the core of their agri philosophy lies two carefully nurtured brands artisan tea and pure cinnamon, each reflecting a commitment to quality, heritage and people.

Armed with global exposure and professional backgrounds in the technology sector,they chose to channel thier experiences into agriculture, believing that true progress begins at home.

: Avya Technologies (Pvt) ltd software company that developed Agri Vision

: Chanaka,Harini and Shakya Mallikarachchi and Malathi Malathi dias (middle)

But the story of Agri Vision is as much about relationships as it is about technology. Harini with her sharp analytical mind, ensures the operations runs seamlessly Chanaka, the strategist looks outward, connecting Agri Vision to globally best practices and Malathi is their wind behind the wings, ensures every project maintains a personal community focussed ethos. They cultivate hope, opportunity and a blueprint for a future where agriculture serves both the land and the people who depend on it .

For the trio, agriculture is not merely about cultivation, it is about connection. It is about understanding the rhythm of the land, respecting generations of farming knowledge, and that growth is shared by the communities that sustain it. This belief forms the backbone of Agro’s vision, one that places communities not only on the periphery, but at the very heart of every endeavour.

Artisan tea is a celebration of craft and origin sourced from selected growing regions and produced with meticulous attention to detail, the tea embodier purity, traceability and refinement, each leaf is carefully handled to preserve character and flavour, reflecting Sri Lanka’s enduring legacy as a world class tea origin while appealing to a new generation of conscious consumers complementing this is pure Cinnamon, a tribute to authentic Ceylon, Cinnamon. In a market saturated with substitutes, Agri vision’s commitment to genuine sourcing and ethical processing stands firm.

By working closely with cinnamon growers and adhering to traditional harvesting methods, the brands safeguards both quality and cultural heritage.

What truly distinguishes Harini and Chanake’s Agri Vision is their community approach. By building long term partnerships with smallholders. Farmers, the company ensures fair practises, skill development and sustainable livelihoods, These relationships foster trust and resilience, creating an ecosystem where farmers are valued stakeholders in the journey, not just suppliers.

Agri vision integrates sustainable practices and global quality standards without compromising authenticity. This harmony allows Artisan Tea and Pure Cinnamon to resonate beyond borders, carrying with them stories of land, people and purpose.

As the brands continue to grow Harini and Chanaka remain anchored in their founding belief that success of agriculture is by the strength of the communities nurtured along the way. In every leaf of tea and every quill of cinnamon lies a simple yet powerful vision – Agriculture with communities at heart.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

Marriot new GM Suranga

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

Suranga new G. M. at Mariott

Courtyard by Marriott Colombo has welcomed Suranga Peelikumbura as its new General Manager, ushering in a chapter defined by vision, warmth, and global sophistication.

Suranga’s story is one of both breadth and depth. Over two decades, he has carried the Marriott spirit across continents, from the shimmering luxury of The Ritz-Carlton in Doha to the refined hospitality of Ireland, and most recently to the helm of Resplendent Ceylon as Vice President of Operations. His journey reflects not only international mastery but also a devotion to Sri Lanka’s own hospitality narrative.

What distinguishes Suranga is not simply his credentials but the philosophy that guides him. “Relationships come first, whether with our associates, guests, partners, or vendors. Business may follow, but it is the strength of these connections that defines us.” It is this belief, rooted in both global perspective and local heart, that now shapes his leadership at Courtyard Colombo.

At a recent gathering of corporate leaders, travel partners, and media friends, Suranga paid tribute to outgoing General Manager Elton Hurtis, hon oring his vision and the opportunities he created for associates to flourish across the Marriott world. With deep respect for that legacy, Suranga now steps forward to elevate guest experiences, strengthen community ties, and continue the tradition of excellence that defines Courtyard Colombo.

From his beginnings at The Lanka Oberoi and Cinnamon Grand Colombo to his leadership roles at Weligama Bay Marriott and Resplendent Ceylon, Suranga’s career is a testament to both resilience and refinement. His return to Marriott is not merely a professional milestone, it is a homecoming.