Dilmah aims to repatriate profits and create value at home
Dilmah Tea, founded 25 years ago, has become one of the biggest names in the tea business, especially in Sri Lanka. It is currently ranked among the world's top 10 tea brands and is the third largest exporter of tea in Sri Lanka, a country where tea is mainly exported as a commodity. According to Dilhan Fernando, the founder's son, commoditization of tea is the source of hardship and inequality in tea producing countries: the value is created in countries where the tea is sold, not where it is grown. Looking back, one of the keys to Dilmah's success was focusing on branded single-origin tea, instead of tea that is mixed and sold in bulk. This mission is alive and well to this day, as the company looks to reposition itself from mass to gourmet market and continue to create added value at home. Fernando also credits the format of family business as a means to ensure sustainability and responsibility in the industry.