HIRDARAMANI APPAREL
DEI Champion Awards
THE CEYLON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Joint Managing Director
Q: What led to Hirdaramani Apparel’s recognition at the inaugural DEI Champion Awards 2025? And what are its implications for Sri Lanka’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey?
A: Hirdaramani Apparel is a fourth generation, family owned apparel manufacturer with over 100 years of heritage and a global footprint across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Africa.
Partnering with leading global fashion brands, we have always believed that our success is built on our people, and that our responsibility extends far beyond business to shaping a more inclusive and equitable future.
Being recognised for disability inclusion at the DEI Champion Awards reflects this commitment. Through our flagship Wonders of Wellbeing (WOW) initiative, introduced in 2014, we have built a culture where inclusion is embedded into all operational aspects.
Today, WOW positively impacts over 55,000 associates across our operations – enabling holistic support in physical, mental and financial wellbeing while providing inclusive recruitment, training and career development pathways for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
This recognition is a milestone for Hirdaramani and a signal to Sri Lanka’s corporate community. Embracing DEI approaches creates stronger teams, promotes innovation and drives meaningful societal change.
We hope that industry recognition programmes such as this inspire more organisations to embed DEI into their growth strategies, making inclusion a national priority rather than a corporate trend.
Q: How does Hirdaramani integrate DEI into workplace culture and leadership, and what challenges have you faced?
A: For DEI to take root, it must be embedded in leadership mindsets and daily culture. Guided by our Future First sustainability road map, we have created a framework where inclusion is systemic.
This commitment is led by the senior leadership and cascaded across every level of the organisation – shaping policies, recruitment, training and engagement across all the countries in which we operate.
Key actions include gender neutral hiring, workplace adjustments for accessibility and programmes to strengthen female representation.
Under WOW and our gender enabler initiatives, we have certified over 300 leaders to address unconscious bias and drive inclusion as part of everyday culture.
Our WOW counselling programmes have supported 15,000 employees since 2014, offering mental health services and de-stigmatising mental health.
A recent para-counselling pilot led to a sixfold increase in employees seeking mental health support (from 3% to 19%), alongside improved supervisor referrals, proving that leadership driven interventions create measurable change.
Challenges remain especially in addressing cultural differences across geographies and shifting mindsets at all levels, which are addressed through consistent leadership communication and employee engagement.
The result is nurturing a culture where employees feel empowered to become active champions of inclusion.
Q: What DEI trends are shaping your industry and how are they influencing Hirdaramani’s growth strategy?
A: In apparel manufacturing, DEI is evolving beyond representation to equity, accessibility and belonging.
Leading brands now expect their partners to reflect these values and align processes such as inclusive recruitment, initiating wellbeing programmes to empower the workplace.
For Hirdaramani, DEI is a growth enabler. As we expand operations and partnerships globally, inclusion will be a key to attracting top talent, strengthening relationships with customers and driving innovation.
Internal programmes such as Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (PACE) have empowered more than 1,300 female employees in Bangladesh and Vietnam while the Reimagining Industry to Support Equality (RISE) programme has created new career pathways for female production associates.
Embedding DEI into our business model ensures we stay competitive and responsible while creating measurable social impact. We see DEI as a bridge to strengthen communities.
Initiatives such as the Training, Empowerment and Awareness (TEA) project, benefiting over 33,000 children annually, and partnerships with organisations supporting students reflect our broader vision of inclusion beyond the factories.
As a global apparel manufacturer, we are committed to building a future ready workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we represent.
Q: What are your organisation’s future plans?
A: Our future is anchored in two priorities: growth and responsibility. As a fourth generation business with over a century of heritage, we are committed to building on our strengths while shaping a more sustainable and inclusive apparel industry.
We continue to expand our global footprint across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Africa, investing in facilities and technology that strengthen agility and competitiveness.
A key area of focus is automation and digital transformation, which enhance efficiency while creating new career opportunities for our teams. We are also investing in development and skills training to ensure our people are prepared for the future of work.
Equally important is our sustainability and DEI commitment. Through our Future First sustainability road map, we are scaling renewable energy, circularity and water stewardship initiatives across plants while embedding diversity and inclusion.
Initiatives such as WOW will continue to grow, empowering more women, differently abled individuals and underrepresented groups to thrive.
We remain committed to be the partner of choice for leading global fashion brands by delivering apparel solutions that combine innovation, responsibility and inclusion, which will continue to create value for our people, customers and communities.
Telephone 4797000 | Email info@hirdaramani.com | Website www.hirdaramani.com
