Kelani Valley Plantations wins Gold at SLITAD People Development Awards 2023/24

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai (eighth from left) and KVPL Head/General Manager – HR and Corporate Sustainability Anuruddha Gamage (seventh from left), receiving the accolades at the SLITAD People Development awards in the presence of KVPL corporate and senior management 

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai

KVPL Director and CEO  Anura Weerakoon

Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL), one of Sri Lanka’s leading regional plantation companies and a part of Hayleys Plantations sector, has been awarded the Gold Award in the Plantations category at the prestigious SLITAD People Development Awards 2023/24.

Held at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, the SLITAD Awards brought together and celebrated organisations championing HRD practices that contribute to the development of their people, and the nation. 

“Our people are the heart of our business, and the reason that KVPL continues to command local and global leadership in the plantation industry,” said Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai. “The performance of KVPL proves that enhancing working conditions, improving quality of life, and offering continuous training and development opportunities consistently boosts productivity. Our approach is guided by the values, standards and principles embedded in the Hayleys Lifecode and KVPL’s Corporate DNA, the company’s very own ESG-driven roadmap, where we aim to establish a new paradigm for Sri Lankan agri-business. This award is a testament to the value of this on-going journey, and to the unwavering commitment of our workforce towards people development.”  

As part of its efforts to drive community growth, KVPL’s flagship ‘A Home for Every Plantation Worker’ program exemplifies its dedication to its 60,000+ strong plantation community. This initiative encompasses various activities, from medical camps and awareness programs to infrastructure development and community capacity building. Moreover, KVPL became the first Regional Plantation Company in Sri Lanka to adopt a comprehensive “Child Protection Policy” in partnership with the Save the Children Fund.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, KVPL demonstrated exceptional leadership by mobilising its entire workforce for awareness campaigns and achieving a 100% vaccination rate among its estate workers, resulting in zero casualties. The company also launched a series of ground-breaking online learning sessions such as ‘Evening with an Expert’ and ‘Expert Talks’ at zero cost, open to the broader estate communities under KVPL’s youth empowerment agenda, where special training was also provided for designated Child Development Centre officers on caring for their children during these conditions. 

“KVPL’s success in Training and Development stems from our unwavering commitment and passion to go beyond traditional plantation management boundaries. We firmly believe that great achievements are nurtured through the collaboration of many minds united by a common vision and goal, and in that vein, winning the Gold at the SLITAD People Development Awards 2024 serves as a testament to our team’s exceptional accomplishments and our position as a benchmark in Training and Development within this challenging industry. This recognition affirms our innovative approach to people development and underscores our dedication to fostering a skilled, empowered workforce that drives sustainable growth in the plantation sector,” said KVPL Director/CEO Anura Weerakoon. 

The SLITAD People Development Awards are renowned for their comprehensive evaluation process, which assesses organisations across three key clusters: The Strategic, Operational and Sustainability Clusters, which focus on areas from business and management effectiveness to performance measurement, learning and development and continuous improvement practices. Notably, KVPL’s Gold Award signifies its excellence across all three of these crucial areas, demonstrating its commitment to holistic people development and organisational growth.

KVPL was also honoured as the Sector Winner in the Plantations Sector at the recently concluded 20th annual edition of “Most Respected Entities in Sri Lanka.” Their recognition was based on a rigorous evaluation by PepperCube Consultants, which assigns weighted scores to company nominations, where KVPL stood out due to its exceptional performance, industry leadership, and commitment to excellence. 

In addition, KVPL recently became the first tea estate in the world to achieve the highly prestigious ‘regenagri’ certificate for regenerative agricultural practices at Halgolla estate. Notably, they also established the world’s first biodiversity conservation and Knowledge Sustainability Center and proposed a groundbreaking intellectual tourism model, in alignment with the Central Environmental Authority, Forestry Department, and Department of Wildlife.