CEAT Kelani Holdings, Sri Lanka’s leading tyre manufacturer, achieved remarkable recognition at the National Convention on Quality and Productivity (NCQP) 2024, organized by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Quality and Productivity (SLAAQP). The company won eight Gold awards for its quality improvement projects, making a clean sweep with every project submitted being awarded Gold. These accolades qualify the teams to represent Sri Lanka at the International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) 2024, scheduled to be held in Colombo in November.
The award-winning quality improvement projects included:
- Eliminating Motorcycle Tyre Lamination Problem
- Achieving Optimal Motorcycle Tyre Weight
- Process Improvement in Scrap Data Management
- Reduction of Engineering Spares Inventory Value
- Reduction of Tyre Scrap Generation in Motorcycle Tyre Plant
- Reduction of Compound Scrap Generation
- Reducing Shear Strip Curing Costs While Increasing Throughput
- Reduction of Tyre Scrap Generation in Radial Plant
Additionally, CEAT Kelani received two awards at the Kaizen competition for Continuous Improvement, emphasizing the company’s commitment to enhancing working practices, personal efficiency, and overall productivity. “Kaizen,” a term that means “change for the better,” highlights the importance of small, incremental changes leading to significant process improvements.
CEAT Kelani Chief Operating Officer Shamal Gunawardene congratulated the teams, stating: “Winning eight Golds for the eight quality improvement initiatives we submitted is an emphatic affirmation of CEAT’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement of products and processes, as well as the involvement of our employees in total quality management. We have developed a customised and holistic Total Quality Management system that has become part of the culture at CEAT.”
Gunawardene added that CEAT’s credo – ‘Making Mobility Safer and Smarter. Everyday.’ – is driven by the values of Play to Win, Agility, Customer Obsession, Empowerment, and Caring. These values unite employees and motivate them to excel.
CEAT Kelani manufactures half of Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre requirements, exports about 20% of its production, and plays a significant role in conserving foreign exchange by reducing reliance on imported tyres. The joint venture’s cumulative investment in Sri Lanka over the past decade exceeds Rs. 8.5 billion.
Originating in Italy, the CEAT brand is supported by extensive research and testing facilities in India and Germany. As the largest domestic manufacturer of cross-ply and radial tyres in Sri Lanka, CEAT’s dominance in the market is the result of substantial investments, expansion of the product range, the deployment of new technology, and significant improvements in quality.