Rizan Rizvi,Australia ,Department of Home Affairs , Tamil community

The founder and former Chairman of Ceylon Biscuits Group (CBL) Mineka. P Wickramasingha has passed away.

Wickramasingha was 86 years old at the time of his demise.

After almost 48 years at the helm of the organization he founded in 1968, Mineka Wickramasingha announced his retirement from the position of Chairman of the CBL Group in June 2015.

CBL started its operations when Wickramasingha presented a proposal to the Ministry of Education to provide a high protein biscuit to schoolchildren under the CARE program.

The biscuit was developed in-house by the founder using bread flour, soybean oil, milk powder, and other limited raw materials available at the time.

Having become the local market leader by capturing more than a 50% share of the local biscuit market, Wickramasingha was one of the first entrepreneurs to venture into the Indian market.

The group now exports to over 55 countries and is the largest exporter of biscuits and confectionery in the country.

The group enjoys market leadership in biscuits, chocolates, textured soy, cereals, cakes, organic fruits, and coconuts under the brand names Munchee, Ritzbury, Lankasoy, Samaposha, Tiara, and Cecil. (NewsWire)