Q: Could you describe your experience working in the various industries in Sri Lanka?

A: I have been in business for over 20 years and amusingly, my core businesses are not related to technology.

My experience ranges from interior design and infrastructure, to manufacturing custom furniture to managing a printing press. The result is that until now, people have known me for my expertise in these areas.

Sri Lanka has a colossal talent pool that is underutilised. We must create an environment to encourage our younger generations to make full use of the resources available and provide opportunities to showcase their creativity.

Both the government and private sector need to come together and provide the required platform to spearhead the younger generations.

Q: So what drew you to the IT stream?

A: I am a fan of IT and tried to incorporate various technologies in all my business ventures. As such, I’ve been keen to get involved in a more tech related venture like a startup over the past few years.

About three years ago, I was approached to join VirTrans Capital as an investor, which is the parent company of the YouCab taxi app. I agreed almost immediately simply because as a country, Sri Lanka possesses great talent in IT and e-commerce. With such talent, we can play a major role across the globe.

It is encouraging to see that many international companies have invested in local talent and therefore, we will see a greater interest and more developments in this area in the near future. Presently, many local IT companies develop software applications or provide expertise to businesses and individuals overseas.

Q: Having experienced success in this new industry over several years, what skills have you acquired by operating in this market? And what are the secrets to success, in your opinion?

A: Being involved in different ventures helps identify the benefits and disadvantages of business endeavours. Given my two decades of experience in the business sphere, it is easy to recognise various market trends and needs, and provide what’s required to address them accordingly.

The economy of today – the IT industry in particular – is rapidly growing and developing, and there’s something new every day. As such, it is important to remain abreast of the latest innovations and market conditions to be successful.

On a day-to-day basis, I engage with many individuals from all walks of life, and it is my belief that patience and perseverance go a long way.

Furthermore, the key to a successful business is its employees; it is critical to foster a good working environment and ensure that staff members feel like they are a part of the organisation.


Q: What is lacking in Sri Lanka’s marketing arena?

A: It lacks creativity, innovation and the ability to think outside the box. It’s vital that we identify our target markets and promote brands accordingly.

Everyone tries to compete against each other. As a business community, we should work together and support one another – even if this includes our competitors.

Ideally, this should begin with our business models: we should bring all competitors onto a single platform that enables us to use each other’s strengths rather than trying to overrun one another based on our weaknesses.

Q: Could you elaborate on why you consider YouCab to be a lifestyle app?

A: YouCab is on the path to becoming a lifestyle app. We have a unique clientele, which trusts our services and standards – our customer base primarily encompasses families seeking safety and reliability.

Moreover, the brand is now recognised for its reliability and we’re growing rapidly in the market.

We also have a number of products and services in the pipeline and hope to introduce them to the market in the near future. With this in mind, we’re planning to invest more in the development, IT and infrastructure of YouCab. Our primary goal is to offer more to individual and corporate customers.

Q: And finally, how has YouCab changed since you joined its board of directors? And what are the next steps you hope to take with the lifestyle app?

A: I have been a member of the board since its inception. Being a startup, we faced numerous challenges and have incorporated many changes to our initial app – this is a continuous process.

We’re learning as we go, and each day is seen as a new day to try and improve our app and operations, to accommodate market trends and requirements. Since there are constant improvements and growth in technology, it is vital that as a tech-based organisation, we are up to date with the latest developments.

YouCab has adopted an entirely different approach to the market – our focus is on investing in R&D, IT and other verticals. We strive to build a sustainable ecosystem for our travel partners and provide a quality service to consumers.

Our ambition is to deliver a seamless experience to passengers, ensuring sustainable lifestyles for our travel partners – and being a part of their lifestyles.

– Compiled by Ashwini Vethakan
INTERVIEWEE DETAILS
Nirthaj Seelanatha Kuruppu
Group CEO
CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone:5898989
Email:social@youcab.lk
Website: www.youcab.lk