THE 100 YEAR OLD START UP

From tailors to the sailors of the early 20th Century to a multi-national apparel industry leader. Here's how the Hirdaramani Group evolved, flourished and stayed competitive through the years.

Beginning as a single retail store in the heart of Colombo's commercial district, the Hirdaramani Group began as a small tailoring company in the late 1800's. At just 16, Parmanand Hirdaramani set up the first Hirdaramani retail store in Fort, Colombo. He made a name for himself in the early 1900s by introducing the concept of same-day tailoring to the passengers of cruise liners that docked at the Colombo Harbour. And so, the innovative Hirdaramani spirit took flight.

The company soon evolved into a growing merchant of garments, textiles, carpets and jewellery - opening retail stores in Colombo and Kandy in the mid 1940s.

It was in the early 1970s when Hirdaramani broke into the international export market with the creation of Ceylon Knit Trend Ltd. As globalisation of the fashion industry rapidly increased Hirdaramani expanded with the demand, building facilities throughout Sri Lanka and opening ventures in Bangladesh, Vietnam and in recent years Ethiopia

In an ever competitive industry, Hirdaramani and its Directors attribute the company's continued success to upholding sustainable and ethical business practices from the very beginning. Caring for their employees and the environment, Hirdaramani's philosophy is that doing the right thing is simply good for business.