Sunshine Holdings PLC, Watawala Tea Ceylon (WTC) have extended an opportunity for the students of the Academy of Design (AOD) to enhance their creative skills by engaging them to develop a new packaging design solution for the company’s Zesta brand.

Under this unique partnership, WTC intends to challenge and incentivise the young third year students of AOD to come up with innovative results and develop breakthrough pack design solutions for Zesta. The company would support the students in this process and then reward their solution, if it is exceptional. 
As part of this joint project, the AOD students received exposure to the state-of-the-art processes and methodologies of the country’s top branded tea company and its procedure for delivering on quality. 

“Partnership between corporates and academic institutions can be mutually beneficial; foster innovation and provide substantial support to students in their professional development,” WTC CEO Visal Wickramarathne said.

“Watawala Tea Ceylon therefore takes great pleasure in this partnership and looks forward to more such opportunities to contribute to the professional development of youth. This partnership further reflects our constant emphasis on innovation in all aspects of operations.”     

WTC, a joint venture between Sunshine Holdings PLC, TATA Global Beverages and Pyramid Wilmar Plantations (Pvt.) Ltd, markets three distinct brands of tea: ‘Zesta’, ‘Watawala Tea’ and ‘Ran Kahata.’ The largest branded tea company in the country in terms of consumer preference at present, WTC also operates gift tea boutiques and is also involved in tea exports, earning much-needed foreign revenue for the country. Apart from tea, the company also markets its own brands of bottled water and edible oil.