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By Darshana Abayasingha
Sri Lanka’s pioneering total car-care specialist, Auto Miraj, is diversifying and expanding its service footprint and automotive solutions as the company comes close upon completing three decades of operations.
Auto Miraj commenced operations in 1992 under the helm of K.K. Sarathchandra, and the company has today grown to over 45 outlets across the country, including service stations, body shops, workshops and filling stations.
The company provides employment to over 1,500 personnel, and is now looking to diversify into the leisure sector with investments in new properties in Sigiriya, Mirissa and Kandy. In addition to its operations in Sri Lanka, Auto Miraj now also provides series in Qatar, plus two workshops in Cambridge, UK.
“In Sri Lanka in the early 90’s, we were importing vehicles, and we realised there was a huge vacuum for cleaning and servicing vehicles, and there were many existing issues. For instance, they mostly did the very traditional servicing on a ramp at the side of filling stations using diesel and kerosene oil for cleaning. This was okay for old vehicles, but for more modern cars this causes issues to rubber particles, the undercoating.
”We wished to introduce a new system to international standard, and we set up our first workshop and station in Mount Lavinia. We got rid of the ramp and we introduced waterproof hoists to the country, with high-end detergents, washing and cleaning products. We led the way for the transformation,” Sarathchandra averred during a media briefing.
Auto Miraj also led the way with a myriad of car-care products that transformed the auto care industry in Sri Lanka beyond traditional vehicle servicing, presenting the market with state-of-the-art interior and engine care products from accredited manufacturers in Europe. These include products such as non-conductive washing liquid, or engine degreaser, enabling engine washing without damage to the electrical components. The company has constantly been at the forefront of innovation and infusing new technology into the market, being the first to introduce glass coating to the country.
“In Sri Lanka, unlike many other countries, vehicles are an investment due to the depreciation of the currency – even after a decade sometimes cars are worth three times the original value whereas in other markets it won’t be even 10%. So, if you maintain the car, it will be more valuable than what you probably bought it for.
“We have introduced all the necessary products, services and technology to do that. Even interior products such as leather or fabric protector – you can spill a coffee inside but it won’t damage the seat or fabric. We can enhance the life span of an automobile, using award-winning products from the US, Germany and the UK. There are lots of people copying us, but we have maintained market leadership due to quality,” Sarathchandra added.
In 2019, alongside the leisure projects, Auto Miraj is looking to expand its services to Jaffna, Kurunegala and Galle in what will be its first foray into the Northern region. The company has also collaborated with a leading ECU remapping company in the UK to offer engine remapping to make vehicles leaner and fuel-efficient.
Ramith Sarathchandra, who will take over the helm of the company, added they could improve fuel efficiency by much as 15% with remapping and even induce higher performance based on individual requirements. Ramith is an Automobile and Motorsports Engineer qualified in the UK, and he has led the change in operating structures, quality control and new technology into the business and service offering, ensuring great value for money and service to clientele.
Pic by Sameera Wijesinghe
