PRISL, EDB and Smart Expos launch first-of-its-kind virtual expo in the country

EDB Chairman Suresh De Mel

PRISL President Kaushal Rajapakse addressing the gathering

Smart Expos and Fairs India CEO B. Swaminathan

The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL) together with Smart Expos and Fairs (India) Ltd. (SMART Expos) in collaboration with Export Development Board (EDB) launched the first-of-its kind virtual expo of the plastics and rubber industry recently.

The exhibition was inaugurated by EDB Chairman Suresh De Mel, via an online platform. With more than 100 exhibitors from Sri Lanka, India, China and Taiwan, the virtual expo can be accessed via the following link: https://srilanka.smartvirtualexpos.com.

The rubber products industry is the fourth largest export earning industry in Sri Lanka accounting for 7.9% ($ 786) of the total merchandise exports in 2020 and has established a reputation for its quality and reliability internationally. 

“Sri Lanka produces a wide variety of value-added rubber products from both latex and dry rubber such as tyres, gloves, industrial components, mats, miscellaneous sports goods, etc. Our main export destinations are USA, Italy, Germany, Belgium, UK, France and Canada,” De Mel said during the online launch.

PRISL in collaboration with Smart Expos, have been organising the Complast and Rubexpo successfully in Sri Lanka for the past eight years, which has exposed the Sri Lankan plastics and rubber industries to emerging technology as well as new markets in Sri Lanka as well as internationally.

Considering the opportunities available for Sri Lankan rubber and plastic exporters, the EDB has joined hands with the PRISL to continue the Complast and Rubexpo via a virtual platform considering the present health and safety restrictions. The virtual exhibition of iComplast and iRubexpo which was launched on 25 January remained live online till 26 February. iComplast and iRubexpo is an ideal platform for local organisations to promote and showcase their products to overseas visitors looking to source rubber and plastic products manufactured in Sri Lanka. Further these two exhibitions will keep the Sri Lankan rubber and plastic industry connected with international markets and technology developments around the globe especially during the present new normal conditions.

De Mel said the rubber product sector should make use of these opportunities for the development of the sector as well as aim to contribute towards the country’s export earnings by $ 2 billion by 2025. He thanked the PRISL, for its collaboration and hoped that exhibitors would benefit immensely from this virtual exhibition.

PRISL President Kaushal Rajapakse, while addressing the online attendees, said the institute having served the nation for more than six decades is still a strong catalyst for the development and growth of the polymer industry in Sri Lanka. The two decades following the new millennium also witnessed the strengthening of collaborative relationships between the PRISL and Governmental institutions such as the EDB, Ministry of Industries, CEA and the IDB. 

The PRISL also made headway in promoting partnerships with overseas organisations and foreign universities for training, workshops and exhibitions. The establishment of the Finite Element Analysis and Simulation Centre (FEASC), as a Public/Private Partnership in 2018, is another strategic milestone in the history of PRISL.

B. Swaminathan, CEO of Smart Expos and Fairs India Ltd., the overseas partner of PRISL, shared that the virtual platform was not merely an alternate during the current COVID period but a sustainable channel for promotion in the coming years. 

Virtual Smart Exhibition Centre