Laugfs Gas set to strengthen presence in Bangladesh
Laugfs Gas Bangladesh, part of the diversified Sri Lankan multinational Laugfs Holdings, announced plans to strengthen its presence in Bangladesh with renewed commitment and further investments.
These views were expressed at a Corporate Dinner Reception hosted by the company at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, which was graced by President Maithripala Sirisena.
The event coincided with the State visit by the President of Sri Lanka and a high profile delegation to Bangladesh. The dinner reception was graced by a gathering of eminent government officials and business leaders from both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Among the dignitaries present, Ravi Karunanayake –Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka together with Mohammed Shahriar Alam - State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nasrul Hamid - State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and Zunaid Ahmed Palak - State Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology of Bangladesh addressed the gathering.
Laugfs Gas entered the Bangladesh market in 2015 with the acquisition of Petredecelpiji Limited, and is one of the largest LPG downstream players in the country. The company imports and distributes over 50,000 MT of LPG every year in Bangladesh and operates an expansive and a fast growing distribution network across the country.
“Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have shared a rich history for hundreds of years, especially entwined with trade. We are delighted to be part of this rich legacy and to be able to enrich the lives of the people of Bangladesh with whom we share a unique camaraderie,” commented Laugfs Holdings Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya at the event.
“As an energy conglomerate with a strong footprint within the region, we plan to invest significantly in Bangladesh over the next 3 years for capacity enhancement, expanding storage volume, setting up a cylinder manufacturing plant as well as expanding our distribution centres,” he further elaborated.
Laugfs Gas Bangladesh currently operates a world-class LPG import, bottling and distribution facility in Mongla Port. It serves the domestic and industrial segments with its 12kg cylinders for households and 12kg and 45kg cylinders for commercial and industrial customers under the brand name Laugfs Gas. It is also the pioneer in Autogas in Bangladesh and supplies LPG to automobile service stations across the country. Laugfs Gas, with its own vessel fleet, is able to provide LPG with the highest level of reliability.
“The Laugfs Gas brand signifies quality, reliability and safety,” commented Laugfs Holdings Group Managing Director, Thilak De Silva. “As a brand trusted across the region, we have made it a priority to make a positive impact on the lives of the people of Bangladesh. Strengthening our investments, creating more local employment opportunities as well as engaging our local communities will all serve towards this commitment.”
Laugfs is a diversified conglomerate with a strong presence across more than 20 industries in the power and energy, retail, industrial, services, leisure, logistics and real estate sectors. Its presence in the power and energy sector includes liquid petroleum gas, energy logistics and infrastructure, petroleum retailing, as well as renewable energy. It has a strong presence in LPG downstream and midstream activities within the region, which includes Laugfs Gas that engages in downstream activities, Laugfs Maritime, which operates its own fleet of LPG vessels providing energy logistics services within the region, as well as Laugfs Terminals, which is currently setting up one of the largest LPG import and export terminals in South Asia.
Blue Star Limited, India’s leading air conditioning and refrigeration company has announced its partnership with Comfort Solutions as the official distributor in Sri Lanka for its Unitary products range comprising room air conditioners, cassette air conditioners, floor standing air conditioners, water coolers, deep freezers, bottled water dispensers and ice cube machines.
The present Sri Lankan AC&R market is estimated at US$ 50 million with an expected growth of 15 percent per annum. Sri Lanka’s current focus is on its long-term strategic and structural development as it is working towards a transition to an upper middle-income country. There are considerable investments being made in the expansion and development of the cities as well as in the launch of various government and private mega projects across hospitality, education, research, medical and tourism sectors. These sectors, along with the burgeoning residential segment, propel the demand for air conditioning and refrigeration products. Blue Star’s leadership of close to 75 years in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry in India, supported by the free trade agreement (ISFTA) between India and Sri Lanka, as well as the proximity between the two countries facilitating speedy and cost-effective logistics, makes it ideal for the company’s foray into the country.
Blue Star, along with Comfort Solutions, offers a wide range of eco-friendly and energy-efficient room air conditioners and cassette air conditioners, both in fixed speed and inverter technology. The company also offers floor standing ar conditioners which complete its array of product offerings in the air conditioning segment, catering to every related requirement in the residential and commercial sector in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Blue Star is also introducing its made in India split air conditioner which will have no custom duty implications under ISFTA, making it price competitive. Besides room air conditioners, the company is also launching its array of refrigeration products, comprising storage water coolers, deep freezers, bottled water dispensers and ice cube machines, in order to cater to any refrigeration need of the commercial sector, with a special focus on schools, hospitals and the hospitality segment.
Blue Star has put in place a dedicated team of professionals at its head office in India to handle the Sri Lankan market, with support from the local sales teams. Several customised collaterals and advertising campaigns are being designed to build the Blue Star brand in this market.
Speaking to the Press at a conference held at Colombo, Dawood Bin Ozair, Head, International Business Group, Blue Star Limited adds, “Blue Star takes pride in associating with Comfort Solutions, a professional company of high repute, to provide industryleading products to customers across Sri Lanka. With a rich experience spanning across seven decades, Blue Star’s products are backed by robust R&D and world-class manufacturing processes. We are confident that Comfort Solution’s well-entrenched distribution network of retailers and dealers will help ensure an extensive reach of our unitary products range in the Sri Lankan market.”
“We are extremely pleased to partner with an air conditioning & refrigeration expert like Blue Star, and look forward to a long and successful relationship. Blue Star’s expertise will help us provide value-added cooling products and solutions, targeting the growing residential and commercial sectors in Sri Lanka. With Blue Star’s quality products, and Comfort Solution’s commitment towards the delivery and service infrastructure, we are confident of delivering a world-class customer experience in Sri Lanka,” said Upeka Perera, Managing Director, Comfort Solutions.