• Latest
  • Trending

Story of Otara Gunawardene, founder of the iconic Colombo store Odel

November 14, 2016
Cows

China says it successfully cloned 3 highly productive ‘super cows’

February 2, 2023
Reserve Bank Of India (RBI)

India cenbank asks local banks for details of Adani exposure

February 2, 2023
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland

China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

February 2, 2023
UK hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

United Kingdom hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

February 2, 2023
Gautam Adani

Adani loses Asia’s richest crown as stock rout deepens to $84 billion

February 2, 2023
top university in Sri Lanka

Top 20 Sri Lankan universities revealed: Webometrics

February 2, 2023
Electricity

Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: February 2nd

February 2, 2023
Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increases fuel prices

February 1, 2023
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

February 1, 2023
Exchange Rate

Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

February 1, 2023
Bangladesh

Bangladesh secures loans of $4.7 billion from IMF

February 1, 2023
Maithripala Sirisena

Maithripala Sirisena to contest next Presidential election

February 1, 2023
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Friday, February 3, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Reserve Bank Of India (RBI)

    India cenbank asks local banks for details of Adani exposure

    U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland

    China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

    Gautam Adani

    Adani loses Asia’s richest crown as stock rout deepens to $84 billion

    top university in Sri Lanka

    Top 20 Sri Lankan universities revealed: Webometrics

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: February 2nd

    Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

    Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increases fuel prices

    Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Bangladesh

    Bangladesh secures loans of $4.7 billion from IMF

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland

    China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

    UK hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

    United Kingdom hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

    Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

    Bangladesh

    Bangladesh secures loans of $4.7 billion from IMF

    Chief pilot Ian Porter with wife Michelle, daughters Samantha and Sydney, who act as his co-pilots, and son Christopher.. Image credits - Samantha Porter

    The family of five flying around the world in a tiny plane

    Tory peer accused of ‘racially charged’ attack on BBC Modi documentary

    Tory peer accused of ‘racially charged’ attack on BBC Modi documentary

    Robert Clive and the taking of India

    Robert Clive and the taking of India

    Gandhi’s influence on Sri Lanka’s non-violent Independence struggle

    Gandhi’s influence on Sri Lanka’s non-violent Independence struggle

    The world is tired Of United States’ wars

    The world is tired Of United States’ wars

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    "Avatar: The Way of Water" has soared into the $2 billion club of top grossing movies worldwide.

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ crosses $2 billion mark in worldwide box office

    Pathaan

    Posters of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan torn down and burnt outside cinemas in India

    Oscars 2023

    Oscars 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ leads nominations

    Much-awaited Sri Lankan 3D animation movie “Gajaman” coming to theatres

    Much-awaited Sri Lankan 3D animation movie “Gajaman” coming to theatres

    Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France on April 9, 2017.. Image credits - Jack Taylor/Getty Images/File

    Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ creates world record, becomes fastest selling non-fiction book

    Cocaine Bear (Credit: Universal Pictures)

    20 of the best films to watch in 2023

    Avatar

    Avatar: The Way Of Water passes USD 1B at the global box office

    (Image credit: Alamy)

    The 20 best films of 2022

    Harry and Meghan

    ‘Harry & Meghan’ is Netflix’s most watched documentary debut in its first week

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Child. Image credits - Filip Mroz @mroz / Unsplash

    Your child’s academic success may start with their screen time as infants

    Chief pilot Ian Porter with wife Michelle, daughters Samantha and Sydney, who act as his co-pilots, and son Christopher.. Image credits - Samantha Porter

    The family of five flying around the world in a tiny plane

    Vaping

    Researchers uncover new negative effects of vaping

    Paris. Image credits - Alexander Kagan allewollenalex / Unsplash

    World’s ‘most powerful’ tourism city revealed

    Image credits - NASA nasa / Unsplash

    Earth’s inner core may have started spinning other way

    Global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released its quarterly report on the world's most desirable passports. Click on to find out which passport offers the most access in 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    The world’s most powerful passport for 2023 revealed

    Image credits - Tetiana Bykovets tetiana_bykovets / Unsplash

    New research reveals reason why chocolate tastes so good

    NASA’s Webb telescope

    Extraterrestrial wonders: Webb Telescope detects its 1st exoplanet

    Asafoetida plant. Photo via Adobe Stock.

    The most controversial ingredient in Indian food

    Best diet for 2023 is the science-backed Mediterranean style of eating

    Best diet for 2023 is the science-backed Mediterranean style of eating

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Child. Image credits - Filip Mroz @mroz / Unsplash

    Your child’s academic success may start with their screen time as infants

    Donald Trump

    Meta says it will restore Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts

    WhatsApp

    5 great new features coming to WhatsApp in 2023

    Binance

    Binance is now authorised in seven EU Member States and fifteen jurisdictions worldwide

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk breaks world record for largest loss of personal fortune in history

    Microsoft

    Microsoft in talks to invest $10 bln in ChatGPT owner – Semafor

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Reserve Bank Of India (RBI)

    India cenbank asks local banks for details of Adani exposure

    U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland

    China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

    Gautam Adani

    Adani loses Asia’s richest crown as stock rout deepens to $84 billion

    top university in Sri Lanka

    Top 20 Sri Lankan universities revealed: Webometrics

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: February 2nd

    Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash

    Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increases fuel prices

    Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    Bangladesh

    Bangladesh secures loans of $4.7 billion from IMF

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland

    China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

    UK hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

    United Kingdom hit by biggest strike action in more than a decade

    Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

    Bangladesh

    Bangladesh secures loans of $4.7 billion from IMF

    Chief pilot Ian Porter with wife Michelle, daughters Samantha and Sydney, who act as his co-pilots, and son Christopher.. Image credits - Samantha Porter

    The family of five flying around the world in a tiny plane

    Tory peer accused of ‘racially charged’ attack on BBC Modi documentary

    Tory peer accused of ‘racially charged’ attack on BBC Modi documentary

    Robert Clive and the taking of India

    Robert Clive and the taking of India

    Gandhi’s influence on Sri Lanka’s non-violent Independence struggle

    Gandhi’s influence on Sri Lanka’s non-violent Independence struggle

    The world is tired Of United States’ wars

    The world is tired Of United States’ wars

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    "Avatar: The Way of Water" has soared into the $2 billion club of top grossing movies worldwide.

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ crosses $2 billion mark in worldwide box office

    Pathaan

    Posters of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan torn down and burnt outside cinemas in India

    Oscars 2023

    Oscars 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ leads nominations

    Much-awaited Sri Lankan 3D animation movie “Gajaman” coming to theatres

    Much-awaited Sri Lankan 3D animation movie “Gajaman” coming to theatres

    Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France on April 9, 2017.. Image credits - Jack Taylor/Getty Images/File

    Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ creates world record, becomes fastest selling non-fiction book

    Cocaine Bear (Credit: Universal Pictures)

    20 of the best films to watch in 2023

    Avatar

    Avatar: The Way Of Water passes USD 1B at the global box office

    (Image credit: Alamy)

    The 20 best films of 2022

    Harry and Meghan

    ‘Harry & Meghan’ is Netflix’s most watched documentary debut in its first week

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Child. Image credits - Filip Mroz @mroz / Unsplash

    Your child’s academic success may start with their screen time as infants

    Chief pilot Ian Porter with wife Michelle, daughters Samantha and Sydney, who act as his co-pilots, and son Christopher.. Image credits - Samantha Porter

    The family of five flying around the world in a tiny plane

    Vaping

    Researchers uncover new negative effects of vaping

    Paris. Image credits - Alexander Kagan allewollenalex / Unsplash

    World’s ‘most powerful’ tourism city revealed

    Image credits - NASA nasa / Unsplash

    Earth’s inner core may have started spinning other way

    Global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released its quarterly report on the world's most desirable passports. Click on to find out which passport offers the most access in 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    The world’s most powerful passport for 2023 revealed

    Image credits - Tetiana Bykovets tetiana_bykovets / Unsplash

    New research reveals reason why chocolate tastes so good

    NASA’s Webb telescope

    Extraterrestrial wonders: Webb Telescope detects its 1st exoplanet

    Asafoetida plant. Photo via Adobe Stock.

    The most controversial ingredient in Indian food

    Best diet for 2023 is the science-backed Mediterranean style of eating

    Best diet for 2023 is the science-backed Mediterranean style of eating

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Child. Image credits - Filip Mroz @mroz / Unsplash

    Your child’s academic success may start with their screen time as infants

    Donald Trump

    Meta says it will restore Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts

    WhatsApp

    5 great new features coming to WhatsApp in 2023

    Binance

    Binance is now authorised in seven EU Member States and fifteen jurisdictions worldwide

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk breaks world record for largest loss of personal fortune in history

    Microsoft

    Microsoft in talks to invest $10 bln in ChatGPT owner – Semafor

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Around South Asia Sri Lanka

Story of Otara Gunawardene, founder of the iconic Colombo store Odel

Editor by Editor
November 14, 2016
in Sri Lanka, Travel
Reading Time: 4 mins read
58 1
A A
61
SHARES
Share on WhatsApp

Meera Srinivasan of The Hindu discovers that Otara Gunawardene, founder of the iconic Colombo store Odel, began her business in the boot of her car selling factory surpluses to raise money for street dogs.

About 10 minutes into the interview, Otara Gunawardene says: “There’s one under your table.” I look and find Rusty, a fawn and white dog, lying there calmly. When I entered the room earlier, I had noticed only Browny, Gunawardene’s other equally-poised dog.

Gunawardene is the founder of Odel, that famous store in Colombo that has been drawing Indian tourists for decades. “Many Indians would tell me they made trips to Sri Lanka just so they could shop at Odel,” says Gunawardene. And it’s quite true: forget the Temple of Buddha’s Tooth or the famous frescoes of Sigiriya, shopaholic friends who know you are headed to Sri Lanka will urgently implore you to first visit this lifestyle store. “This was before India’s retail boom, but they continued coming even after that. It was flattering,” says Gunawardene

ADVERTISEMENT

What many people don’t know is why Gunawardene started the store. In the decade after Sri Lanka liberalised its economy in 1977, numerous factories came up in different parts of the country. It was a time when the island was witnessing a revolution in its garment manufacturing sector. The world’s top apparel and lingerie brands suddenly found a ready and cheap labour market here. Production scaled up and factories spewed out surpluses. Eager to make a little extra money, Gunawardene decided to supplement her modelling income by buying factory surpluses and selling them out of the boot of her car. The money was used to rescue and treat street animals.

“I started Odel for just that,” she says. The first store was formally set up in 1989, in a 400-sq.ft. space on Dickman’s Road, which now bears the name of acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Dr. Lester James Peries. The chain, which got its name from hers (Otara Del Gunawardene), would soon become a favourite spot for shoppers and tourists. She quit modelling and became a full-time businesswoman. In 10 years, she launched her flagship store in a massive colonial building spanning 33,000 sq. ft. in Alexandra Place in the heart of Colombo. The footfall and captive customer base prompted her to expand further. By 2014, she had opened 20 outlets in and around Colombo.

Today, the model-turned-entrepreneur has turned full-time animal lover. She is ‘Director of Passion’ in an organisation called Embark that works with street dogs in Sri Lanka. “Dogs are like children,” she says.

Embark is located in one of Colombo’s busy neighbourhoods. The lobby walls are filled with photographs — all of them taken in lighting that glints on even the briefest brown streak in her cropped hair. With the photographs superimposed with motivational lines — ‘Compassion: learn it, teach it, share it’ or ‘The universe will always give you a wakeup call when it’s needed. Just make sure you are listening’ — the interiors evoke a new-age, spiritual spa.

Otara's first store was the boot of her car
Otara’s first store was the boot of her car

The 52-year-old’s own wake-up call came in 2014, when she sold Odel, three decades after she had founded the store. By then, the single shop had expanded into a retail empire. Gunawardene had initially taken accounting lessons from her brother to read financial statements and balance sheets, but her business sense came intuitively. She travelled all over the world, sourcing products and designs seldom found in the region.

To raise money for expansion, Odel made an initial public offering in 2010, and was converted to a public limited company. “That meant even more responsibility,” says Gunawardene. Odel continued to grow, and in 2014, the company recorded a net profit of nearly LKR 2 billion.

Meanwhile, Gunawardene had begun Embark as a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. Only to find that it was inadequate. It could, at most, be a “by-the-way” aspect of life, but nothing more. “The corporate world is too restrictive and does not let you work with your heart. It obsesses over numbers and growth. We get trapped in the pressure and tend to lose sight of the bigger picture.”

All the same, she did not think she would end up selling Odel, a brand she had painstakingly built. “But I have no regrets now,” she says, two years after she sold 45 per cent of Odel’s stakes to well-known local conglomerate Softlogic Holdings for LKR 2.7 billion (about $20 million) and exited the company.

Sri Lanka was once a country that was very compassionate, she says, worrying that increasingly people are “disconnected” from nature. “The world was given to us to live together, not tear part and take what we think is right for us.”

Now, at Embark, she and her team design and sell products across 10 outlets. They make T-shirts, bags, wrist bands and a small collection of dog leashes and other pet accessories — all advocating adoption of street dogs. Profits go to her foundation that has, since 2007, found homes for nearly 2,700 street dogs and rescued and treated 15,000. During the floods earlier this year, Embark was at the forefront of rescuing and treating street dogs.

Gunawardene is also actively campaigning for the closure of a zoo in Colombo. “At one point in history, humans were slaves and kept behind bars. But not anymore, right? I don’t see why animals should be kept in zoos.”

 

Related Posts

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland
Around South Asia

China has not done enough on Sri Lanka debt restructuring – U.S. diplomat

February 2, 2023
top university in Sri Lanka
Around South Asia

Top 20 Sri Lankan universities revealed: Webometrics

February 2, 2023
Electricity
Around South Asia

Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: February 2nd

February 2, 2023
Fuel. Image credits - Wassim Chouak / Unsplash
Around South Asia

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increases fuel prices

February 1, 2023
Sri Lanka
Around South Asia

Sri Lanka makes top 10 in ‘Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’

February 1, 2023
Exchange Rate
Around South Asia

Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

February 1, 2023
  • Electricity

    Power cut schedule for today in Sri Lanka: February 2nd

    58598 shares
    Share 23457 Tweet 14642
  • Registration open for National Fuel Pass

    6625 shares
    Share 2687 Tweet 1641
  • Foreign Currency Official Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka

    1678 shares
    Share 678 Tweet 417
  • WATCH : Yohani’s first live performance in India

    789 shares
    Share 328 Tweet 192
  • Power interruption schedule released: Check your area power cut time

    747 shares
    Share 325 Tweet 176
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2022 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
  • Videos

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist