Watawala Plantations Ltd.

In 1992 the government of Sri Lanka decided to privatise the "Management" of the then existing 22 Regional Plantation Companies which consisted of Tea, Rubber, Coconut & Palm Oil. This paved the path for a strategic joint venture between a Sri Lankan company by the name Estate Management Services (Pvt) Limited and Tata Tea Ltd. of India to take over the management of a multi-crop plantation company, "Watawala Plantations Ltd.". With this the plantations that came under received a new lease of life in terms of latest technology, financial stability and personal care where the workers are concerned by effectively engaging in uplifting the life of the community economically, socially and culturally.

Watawala Plantations undertook the management of 18 selected prime tea estates, in all elevations of low, medium and high-grown, with few rubber plantations and the country's only palm oil factory.

With the joint venture with Tata Tea India, Watawala Plantations Ltd. has taken up the challenge of converting the trade in to a productive and competitive one. The unique three crop advantage, tea, rubber and palm has made the company to move in many directions in terms of getting involved with the day to day lives of the people in Sri Lanka. In total the area of plantations spread over an area of 12,442.13 ha (hectares) out of which 41% is tea, 18% is rubber and 8% is under palm oil cultivation. Approximately 7% is kept aside for the purpose of fuel wood and the remaining is uncultivated. The plantations can be broadly divided into three groups based on their locations/elevations.

	Udugama Group
	Watawala/Hatton Group
	Lindula Group