Zesta partners AOD in developing tea packaging

Watawala Tea Ceylon (WTC) has extended an opportunity to 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 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 said in a media release that it 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," Watawala Tea Ceylon CEO, Visal Wickramarathne said. "Watawala Tea Ceyln 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 con- stant emphasis on innovation in all aspects of operations."

Watawala Tea Ceylon Ltd, 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, Watawala Tea Ceylon 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.