A big achiever in Little England

Successful Businessman: Managing Director, Dayanaa Farm and Dayanaa Motors, Gopal Rasiah is planning to expand his ventures. Hailing from the city of Nuwara Eliya this enthusiastic businessman is busy getting the papers ready to start off his new businesses. He has several goals on his mind and he keeps moving slowly but steadily achieving one by one.

His first business, Dayanaa Farm covers 20 acres of land. "I started the cultivation in 1970 on my own. I grow potatoes, leeks, beet, carrots and cabbages. I also grow broccoli for hotels. I send vegetables to the Manning Market in Colombo. Hotel agents around Nuwara Eliya buy vegetables from me. I also supply vegetables for wholesale marketers in Bandarawela, Haputale and Dambulla," Rasiah explained.

"Nuwara Eliya is good for farming. So I decided to start cultivation. Eighty to Ninety employers work under me. In case of emergency I get more people to work," he said.

He does not use chemicals for the vegetables but makes his own manure from garbage. "I prepare compost. I import Neem oil and Neem powder from India, which is a good fertilizer. I want to introduce Neem oil and powder to other farmers. I hope to import it and introduce it to the Sri Lankan market," Rasiah said.

He also manages the motor spare parts shop Dayanaa motors. "Everything needed for vehicles such as vehicle tyres, tubes, bicycle parts are available in the shop. My son manages the shop together with seven workers. I started it three years ago. I hope to develop it within one year," he said.

"With my son's help I am planning to import garments from India and export garments from Sri Lanka. I am a partner in Ramya textiles, one of the leading textile factories in Nuwara Eliya. I hope to develop property under the real estate business that is on the process. I will invite foreign investors for this business," Rasiah said.

"I will start a ceramics shop in one month. I have in mind to put up a computer centre with Internet facilities. All my businesses help the villagers in their daily work making their lives easy," he said.

Growing vegetables.

I can manage it because the staff and the managers are trustworthy. His four sons and his wife are helping him in his businesses. So he goes about the work with ease. He said Business for Peace Alliance (BPA) assisted him to build up healthy relations between the other chambers and develop his business.

"I learned a lot about business and BPA helped me to get to know businessmen from the other regions. The many businessmen scattered around were brought together through BPA. Through uplifting the economy BPA helps to achieve peace," he said.

Rasaih is the Senior Vice President of the Nuwara Eliya Chamber of Commerce. He has come all the way encountering many hardships. But he never let anything shake his determination. "I am a son of a tea estate labourer. I had to stop my education half way because of financial hardships. I used to work in a shop for 60 rupees.

It was a friend who gave me a loan of Rs. 5,000 to start the cultivation. I consider him as a God. The journey I started then has come a long way and I am glad of what I have achieved," he said.