Who adds the most value to our economy?

The Sri Lankan economy is powered by women at the ‘bottom of the pyramid,’ with significant socioeconomic challenges. Tea pluckers, tailors and housemaids are the main ‘value-adders’ to over US$ 8 billion (70% or more) of the foreign exchange that we earn per annum.

In all these three cases, we are either at lowest price points or command an insignificant percentage of what the final global customer pays. We as business management professionals need to ask the hard question, ‘Have we done enough to move up the value chain – to a level of critical mass?’