Welcome to Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC

A Symbol of Excellence

Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC is a pioneer in eco-friendly & sustainable plantations, cultivating tea, spices & other export crops across 6,491 hectares of land. Established in 1992, following a privatization initiative by the government of Sri Lanka, TTE PLC joined Hayleys Group in 1998 through the acquisition of controlling interest by Hayleys Plantation Services (Pvt) Ltd and was listed on the CSE in 2000. TTE PLC has since advanced to become an award-winning plantation company and a leading exporter of tea & tea-based products. Managing 16 High-grown & Low-grown estates, we provide direct employment for over 5000 employees and care for a community of over 42,000. Our business diversification is centered on strategic ventures to TTEL Hydropower Company (Pvt) Ltd and TTEL Somerset Hydro Power (Pvt) Ltd.

Rooted in the sustainable legacy of the Hayleys Group, we are deeply committed to embedding sustainability at the heart of business operations. We strive to create a positive impact to the society & environment we live in, guided by Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) pillars. Our estates are an embodiment of our unwavering commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as renewable energy adoption, reforestation and utilizing regenerative agriculture practices. Our strength is our people. We are continuously involved in community development, provisioning healthcare, quality education and uplifting the livelihoods of our communities.

Milestones in our Journey

2024
Best Workplaces to Women in Sri Lanka – Winner
Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2024 – Winner of Less than 15bn Category Award
2023

Overall winner –

Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award

2022
Certified as Eco Label
2021
First Plantation Company to be verified for Science Based Targets (SBTi)
2021
TTE PLC became the First Plantation Company to be certified as a Great Place to Work.
2020
Holyrood became Sri Lanka’s first tea factory to earn ISO 50001:2018 certification.
2018
Overall winner of National Business Excellence Award
2017

Great Western Estate received ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015 certification.

2016
Enrolled to United Nations Global Compact Principals (UNGC)
2011
Our tea estates acquired the Rainforest Alliance certification.
2010
Inaugurated the Home for every plantation worker project.
2008

Started green tea manufacturing at Radella Estate.

2006
Kiruwanaganga Estate became Sri Lanka’s first tea factory to be ISO 22000:2005 certified.
2004
All our tea factories switched to renewable biomass from fossil fuel (Diesel).
2001
Great Western Estate became Sri Lanka’s first to obtain the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Certification.
2000
Listed on CSE
1998
Hayleys Plantations acquired 51% of controlling interest.
1992
Incorporated as Talawakelle Plantations Ltd.

Our Vision

“To be the most admired Plantation Company in Sri Lanka”

Our Mission

Manage the plantations to enhance Quality of life of all employees. Produce and market quality teas that delight our customers. Drive sustainable growth. Enhance shareholder value

Business Philosophy

We Believe in…

  • Manufacturing Quality Tea that fetch Premium Prices
  • Increasing Shareholder Value
  • The Spirit of Entrepreneurship
  • Making Profit without loss of Honour
  • Motivating and Training our people to reach their full potential
  • Rewarding Performance
  • Being a “Learning Organisation” and Continuously Improving
  • Building mutually beneficial long term relationships with our Customers and Suppliers
  • Positively contributing to the Conservation of the Environment

Awards & company
recognitions

View all

A M Pandithage
Chairman/Executive Director

Appointed to the Board of Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC in July 2009

Skills and Experience

Mr. Mohan Pandithage currently serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys PLC, a position he has held since his appointment in July 2009.
Mr. Pandithage’s strategic vision has redefined the growth trajectory of Hayleys, transforming the Group to one of Sri Lanka’s most diversified, sustainable and socio-economically impactful enterprises. His foresight in capturing emerging opportunities and driving strategic investments in key industries have significantly enhanced the Group’s earnings potential and long-term resilience. Mr. Pandithage is an accomplished industry veteran and respected leader in the field of transportation and logistics, having led the Group’s Transportation Sector prior to this appointment as Chairman of the Group. He was the first Sri Lankan to be awarded the Pinnacle Lifetime Award by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Best Shipping Personality’ Award by the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the industry. He was also inducted as a ‘Legend of Logistics’ by the Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forwarding Association.

Mr. Pandithage serves as Honorary Consul of the United Mexican States (Mexico) to Sri Lanka. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) and a Member of the Advisory Council of the Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents (CASA). He also serves as a Council Member of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon.

As the Executive Chairman of multiple companies within the Hayleys Group, Mr. Pandithage possesses extensive leadership experience across a broad spectrum of industries.

Other Appointments

He holds the Position of Executive Chairman of Haycarb PLC, Dipped Products PLC, Hayleys Fabric PLC, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC, Hayleys Fibre PLC, Kelani Valley Plantations PLC, Horana Plantations PLC, Alumex PLC, The Kingsbury PLC and Hayleys Leisure PLC.

He also serves as Non-Executive Director on the Board of Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC.

Key Competencies

  • Strategic Leadership
  • Global Trade
  • Corporate Governance
W G Roshan Rajadurai
Managing Director – Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2013.

Skills and Experience

Dr. Roshan Rajadurai joined Hayleys Group in 2013 as a member of Management Committee for Plantations Sector.

He joined the Plantation Sector in 1983, and served in the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) till privatization of Plantations in 1992 and counts over 40 years of planting experience.
He had been the Chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon, Board Member of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Tea Research Institute, Rubber Research Board, Tea Small Holdings Development Authority and the Tea Council of Sri Lanka. He serves as Chairman of the Consultative Committee on Estates of Tea Research Board. He is a Member of the Board of Study in the Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management at Wayamba University, Board of Academic Affairs of the National Institute of Plantation Management. He served as Chairman of the Plantations Group in the Council for Agriculture Research and Policy (CARP). He serves in the Standing Committee on Agriculture of University Grants Commission and also, served as a member of Public Expenditure Review Committee (PERC) of Ministry of Plantations.

He holds a B.Sc. Honours in Plantation Management, M.Sc. (OB), an MBA and an M.Sc. in Agriculture and Plantation Crops from the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He is a Ph.D. in Management and a D.Sc. in Agriculture.

Other Appointments

He holds the position of Managing Director at;
  • Kelani Valley Plantations PLC
  • Horana Plantations PLC as well

He also serves as a Director of a Hayleys Plantation Services (Pvt) Ltd and our two subsidiary companies;
  • TTEL Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd,
  • TTEL Somerset Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd.

Key Competencies

  • Agriy Business Management
  • Sustainability
  • Agriculture Policy

S B Alawattegama
Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2020.

Skills and Experience

Mr. Alawattegama has 40 years of experience in the Plantation Sector. He joined Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation as an Assistant Superintendent and after privatization of the Estates, has been with Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC from its inception.
He has held the positions of Group Manager, Visiting Agent, Deputy General Manager, Senior Regional General Manager, General Manager – Plantations in the company and was the Director – Plantations prior to taking over as Director/CEO, in February 2020. He holds a MBA from the London Metropolitan University, UK and also, a Fellow Member of the National Institute of Plantation Management.

He serves as;
  • Deputy Chairman of – Colombo Tea Traders Association
  • Member of the Committee of Ceylon Tea Road Map 2030
  • Member of the Executive & Finance Committee of The Planters’ Association
  • Member of the GI Management Committee of Sri Lanka Tea Board
  • He is the immediate past Chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon
  • Former Board Member of Sri Lanka Tea Board and Rubber Research Institute
  • A Committee Member of Management of Estate Staffs’ Provident Society

Other Appointments

He also serves as a Director of Hayleys Plantation Services (Pvt) Ltd. and our two subsidiary companies;
  • TTEL Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd,
  • TTEL Somerset Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd.

Key Competencies

Operational Leadership
  • Human Resource Management
  • Plantation Management

Malik J Fernando
Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 1998.

Skills and Experience

Mr. Fernando is a Co-Chairman of MJF Holdings Ltd and Dilmah Ceylon Tea established by Mr. Merrill J. Fernando; Dilmah, named after his two sons Dilhan and Malik, was the first producer owned tea brand, offering tea ‘picked, perfected and packed’ at origin. Dilmah is sold in over 100 countries, founded on a passionate commitment to quality and authenticity in tea.
Dilmah also a part of a philosophy that goes beyond commerce in seeing business as a matter of human service. 15% of earnings are directed to social justice and the environment. Mr. Fernando is the Founder and Chairman of Resplendent Ceylon Ltd and MJF Leisure, pioneer Sri Lankan luxury hotel brand Resplendent Ceylon’s collection of 5 intimate resorts offer the discriminating traveler a remarkable circuit across Sri Lanka, with a range of authentic experiences, while contributing towards local communities & the environment through the MJF Foundation & Dilmah Conservation. Ceylon Tea Trails, Wild Coast Tented Lodge and Cape Weligama are the sole Sri Lankan members of Relais & Chateaux, the global fellowship of individually owned & operated luxury hotels and restaurants. Resplendent recently launched their Reverie collection of small, laid-back properties that embrace slow living.

He is the founder of the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance. A coalition of private sector leaders in tourism to help with the recovery post the April 2019 attacks. Acknowledged by the reputed Skift travel research organization in the USA as “a case study for a private sector response to a crisis”.

He has a B. Sc. in Business Management from Babson College in the US.

Other Appointments

He also serves as a Director of our two subsidiary companies;
  • TTEL Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd.
  • TTEL Somerset Hydro Power Company (Pvt) Ltd.

Key Competencies

  • Brand Strategy
  • Ethical Business
  • Luxury Tourism

S L Athukorala
Non – Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2016.

Skills and Experience

Mr Athukorala is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Fellow Member of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. Master of Business Administration, University of Warwickshire, UK; Certified Management Accountant, Australia.
He counts over forty years’ experience in the fields of Management, Human Resources, Accountancy, Auditing, Consultancy and Finance. Retired international staff member of the Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines. Worked in a number of countries mainly in the Asian region.

Other Appointments

Mr Athukorala who was the Audit Committee Chairman of TTE PLC till 27.12.2024 now serves as member of the committee. He also serves as the Audit Committee Chairman of Hayleys Consumer Products Ltd, David Peiris Group of Companies and Asset Line Finance Ltd.

He also serves as a member of the Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Key Competencies

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Corporate Governance
  • International Business

J M Kariapperuma
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2020.

Skills and Experience

Lt Col J M Kariapperuma has dedicated 36 years to the Plantation Industry, with 30 years in senior management roles within the corporate sector until his retirement in 2020. He served as the Director and Chief Executive Officer of Horana Plantations PLC from December 2013 to March 2020.
His experience includes positions as Head of Produce and Marketing at Hapugastenna Plantations PLC and Udapussellawa Plantations PLC, both managed by Finlays Tea Estates Lanka Ltd., as well as Manufacturing Advisor at Balangoda Plantations PLC.

He is commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force as a Professional Officer. He has successfully completed the General Management Programme at the Business School of National University of Singapore.

Other Appointments

He currently serves as the Director General of BMICH and the Bandaranaike National Memorial Fund.

He has served on the Board of Directors for Vallibel Plantation Management Ltd., UniDil Packaging Ltd and Plantation Human Development Trust.

He also contributed as a Consultant for Sri Lanka Cricket’s women’s cricket operations and development and served as the Manager of the National Men’s Team in 2021, including during the World Cup held in the UAE.

Key Competencies

  • Agri Business Management
  • Discipline & Governance
  • Public Services

N Ekanayake
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2024.

Skills and Experience

Mr. Ekanayake is currently serving as the Chairman/CEO of Siam City Cement Lanka Ltd – Colombo.

He has served as the Head of the divestment project and as the Finance Director of Holcim (Vietnam) Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City, as the Vice President – Finance, IT and Procurement of Holcim Lanka Ltd – Colombo and as the Finance Controller /General Manager of Ruhunu Cement Co. Ltd – Colombo.
Mr. Ekanayake is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka possessing over 30 years of post-qualifying experience at different management levels. He is also an Associate member of Certified Practicing Accountants (CPA) Australia and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. He is also an alumna of the London Business School UK and IMD Business School in Switzerland.

Other Appointments

Mr. Ekanayake is the Chairman of Mahaweli Marine (Pvt) Ltd (90% owned subsidiary of Siam City Cement (Lanka) (Ltd) and Insee Ecocycle Lanka (Pvt) Ltd (fully owned subsidiary of Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd).

Mr. Ekanayake serves as an Independent NonExecutive Director on the Board of Kelani Valley Plantations PLC.

Key Competencies

  • Strategic Finance
  • Infrastructure Development
  • Board Leadership

M C B Talwatte
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board in 2024

Skills and Experience

Mr. Talwatte, an accomplished business professional holds a B.Eng (Hons) in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and a MSc in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick, UK. He commenced his career at Nortel Networks in Project Management with stints in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
With over two decades of management experience, Mr. Talwatte has made significant contributions to the success of businesses locally and internationally. His acumen for innovation and knowledge of the business landscape is evident in his role as a FounderDirector in Healthcare (Lifeline Pharmaceuticals, Credence Genomics), Technology (UPay), and Tourism ventures (Saffron Leisure, Plush Villas); two of which were acquired by publicly listed companies in Sri Lanka.

Other Appointments

Mr. Talwatte is a Board Member of Horana Plantations PLC and Kelani Valley Plantations PLC. He currently serves as the Chair of the George Keyt Foundation, drawing on his extensive knowledge of Sri Lankan art. Formerly he was the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Key Competencies

  • Project Management
  • Manufacturing & Engineering
  • Cultural Advocacy

J D N Gunasekara
Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 27.12.2024

Skills and Experience

With over 25 years of progressive experience in Finance and General Management, Mr.Gunasekera has gained significant international exposure. His professional background includes key positions at notable local and multinational companies across diverse sectors, such as FMCG, Retail, Leisure, Tea, Plantations, Financial Services, Renewable Energy and Apparel.
Mr. Gunasekera currently serves as the Group Finance Director of the MJF Group. He began his tenure with the MJF Group in 2015, initially taking on the role of Chief Financial Officer. In October 2020, he was appointed as an Executive Director on the Board of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC.

Mr. Gunasekera is a double-qualified Accountant, holding Fellowships from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the UK. Additionally, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and has further qualifications in Marketing and various other disciplines.

Other Appointments

Mr. Gunasekera holds directorships on the Boards of several other Public Limited Companies and Private Limited Companies, both in Sri Lanka and overseas. He is also the current Chair of the Integrity and Ethics Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka (ICC SL) and serves as a committee member of ICC SL.

Key Competencies

  • Finance & Governance
  • International Business
  • Marketing and Branding

H D K Randiligama
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 27.12.2024

Skills and Experience

Ms. Randiligama currently serves as the Group General Manager – Procurement and Inventory Control of Vallibel One PLC.

Ms. Randiligama holds an MBA in Business Administration from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) in Sri Lanka and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management specializing in Accountancy from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
a. Her career journey began with MAS Holdings – Silueta Pvt Ltd, followed by lead roles at Dialog Axiata PLC and Hayleys-Dipped Products PLC. Her international experience includes roles at Teys Australia, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety Australia, and EnerSys Australia & New Zealand.

Throughout her career, she spearheaded key process transformation initiatives in the supply chain, including ERP implementations and capability development.

Other Appointments

She also serves as a Board Member on the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI), Hayleys Leisure PLC and National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) Sri Lanka.

Key Competencies

  • Procurement Strategy
  • Organizational Transformation
  • Supply Chain Management

T M Hewagama
Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the Board on 27.12.2024

Skills and Experience

Mr. Hewagama is a skilled finance professional, currently serving as the Group Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC) of Hayleys PLC, with responsibility for the Group’s Finance & Reporting, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Tax, Risk & Safety and Corporate Secretarial functions among others.
He joined Hayleys in 2010 and was appointed to the GMC in 2023 since which time he has contributed actively to the organization’s strategic direction and growth aspirations. He has also played a pivotal role in driving the Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda in line with Hayleys’ aspirations of strategically embedding ESG across all aspects of its operations. He has been instrumental in advancing the Group’s corporate reporting practices, helping to ensure that the Hayleys PLC’s Annual Report continues to set benchmarks in corporate and sustainability reporting.

Mr. Hewagama holds an MBA and BBA (Special) in Finance from the University of Colombo. He is a Member of the CA Sri Lanka.

He has served as a Member of the Corporate Governance Committee of CA Sri Lanka, which was responsible for the formulation of the Code of Best Practice in Corporate Governance 2023.

Other Appointments

Mr. Hewagama was recently appointed to the Boards of Hayleys Leisure PLC and The Kingsbury PLC as a Non-Executive Director and to several fully owned subsidiaries of the Hayleys Group. He also serves as a Board Member of the United Nations Global Compact Network of Sri Lanka.

Key Competencies

  • ESG & Sustainability
  • Corporate Finance
  • Strategic Planning