As an Asian Paints Brand Ambassador, Kumar Sangakkara will endorse products from an extensive portfolio of popular brands, including several that are unique in the local market.
Announcing the three-year partnership at a media conference, Jacob Kuruvilla, Director/General Manager of Asian Paints (Lanka) Limited, said the company was delighted to welcome Mr Sangakkara as its Brand Ambassador for Sri Lanka.
“Anyone who follows cricket knows that Kumar Sangakkara’s name is synonymous with performance and consistency at the highest level both on and off the field,” he said. “This is something that Asian Paints has in common with him. All of our products are the result of cutting-edge research, are innovative and manufactured to global and local standards around the world, and we adopt best practices in product delivery and sales support,” Mr Kuruvilla said.
“Kumar Sangakkara recognises the values we uphold, and his universal appeal makes him an ideal Brand Ambassador for Asian Paints as the brand continues to grow in the region,” he said.
Commenting on his new role as an Asian Paints Brand Ambassador, Mr Sangakkara said: “Asian Paints has been present in Sri Lanka for the past 15 years, and has revolutionised the way paint is retailed in this country through the company’s highly interactive and sophisticated ‘Colour World’ tint and dispense platform. I am also aware that the company has been responsible for several first-of-their-kind products in the local market. I am therefore proud to endorse the company’s products as a Brand Ambassador.”
The Asian Paints group with a turnover of $ 2.1 billion has 25 paint manufacturing facilities worldwide and a strong presence in the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, Middle East, South Pacific, Caribbean and Africa. The group’s product portfolio under the brands Asian Paints, APCO coatings, Berger International, Taubmans and SCIB satisfies a large spectrum of coating needs including architectural and protective coatings.
The Asian Paints product portfolio encompasses a large spectrum of coatings and ancillary products in Decorative Paints, Wood Finishes, Automobile OEM coatings and refinishes, Marine, Road Marking Paints, and industrial coatings. Asian Paints has one of the largest R&D facilities in the industry with multiple laboratories devoted to cutting-edge research.
Asian Paints’ Sri Lanka unit began operations in 1999 by acquiring Delmege Forsyth and Co. (Paints) and was renamed Asian Paints (Lanka) Ltd. in September 2000. The company has set up 470 innovative ‘Colour World’ automated dispensing outlets in the country -- the only tinting platform to have its products SLS certified -- and is credited with many firsts, including the launch of the country's first stain-resistant luxury emulsion – Royale Luxury Emulsion; the first exterior emulsion with a seven-year warranty – Apex Ultima, and the first special effects interior emulsion – Royale Play.
The ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified Asian Paints (Lanka) represents the brands Apex Ultima, Apex, Ace, Royale with Teflon, Classique, Premium and Decora in the Emulsion and Enamel Paint categories. The company also produces Skim Kote for both exterior and interior, acrylic putty, waterproofing solutions and other primers for different types of paint and recently launched water based wood finishes in collaboration with the Italian wood coating giant, Renner Italia S.P.A.
All Asian Paints products are guaranteed to have no added Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Chromium or any other heavy metals.
Among the numerous well-known buildings completed with Asian Paints coatings in Sri Lanka are the Monarch Tower (Crescat), Cinnamon Lodge – Habarana, HSBC – Rajagiriya, the MAS Holdings factories at Thulhiriya and Kilinochchi, the Maliban Factory – Ratmalana, Cinnamon Bay – Beruwela, Nine Wells Hospital, LaugfsAnanthaya Hotel – Chilaw, Iconic Building – Rajagiriya, Chaaya Village – Habarana and ChaayaTranz Hotel – Hikkaduwa.
Photo caption - (From left) Asian Paints Director/General Manager Jacob Kuruvilla, Kumar Sangakkara and Asian Paints AGM – Marketing ChannaHewage.