3M’s first CTC opens its doors in Sri Lanka

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

Reflecting its commitment to Sri Lanka, multinational conglomerate 3M unveiled its very first customer technical centre in the country yesterday to give its local customers a complete picture of the company’s offerings under one roof. With 65 global subsidiaries, the CTC is the third in the region, with two others based in Bangalore and Delhi and was officially opened by 3M India and Sri Lanka’s Managing Director Ajay Nanavati.

3M Sri Lanka Vice President Suren Rajanathan takes 3M India and Sri Lanka’s Managing Director Ajay Nanavati around 3M’s first customer technical centre in Sri Lanka which was unveiled yesterday – Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera

“It’s been quite the transformation and journey to where we have come today since we first entered Sri Lanka nearly two decades ago. We are proud of the infrastructure that we have created here as our philosophy, even as a international conglomerate, is to be very local and specific to the country in which we operate and this is the first step in our journey in 3M Sri Lanka,” stated Nanavati at the unveiling. “It is a reflection of our belief in Sri Lanka’s opportunities and a sign of our commitment here.”

For a company boasting a portfolio of over 1000 products, 3M’s technical centre will allow customers to enjoy a hand-on experience as they are introduced to the products in a more tactile fashion than ever before. The six broad industry categories of 3M are filled with products of varying complexities that are best introduced through demonstration and the centre will act as an avenue through which customers can truly understand what 3M is all about.

“A company like 3M that is focused on constant innovation needs to make its innovations relevant to the consumer in order to make the best products to satisfy the buyers’ needs. For global companies like 3M, the best way to achieve this is through localisation; the technical centre that we are opening in Sri Lanka is the first step towards this path and we foresee the future holding research and development centres in the country as well,” added Nanavati.

3M drives much of its business in Sri Lanka through a network of over 30 channel partners and its solutions are available in a wide range of industries that include healthcare, occupational health and environmental safety, industrial and transportation business, electronics and telecommunication, consumer and office and display and graphics.

“This is a historic occasion for 3M in Sri Lanka, a journey that began 18 years ago. The first technical centre in the country and the third in the region, it will allow our customers to see some of the company’s global innovations here as well as some of the work we have done with our local customers,” commented 3M Sri Lanka Vice President Suren Rajanathan.