Dulith Herath

Dulith Herath
Alma mater	Royal College, Colombo University of Kentucky
Occupation	Serial entrepreneur
Known for	Kapruka.com, Java Lounge, Grasshoppers [1] [2]

Dulith Herath is a Sri Lankan serial entrepreneur. ^{[3] [4] [5]} He is the founder and chairman of the Sri Lankan e-commerce platform Kapruka.com.(CSE: KPHL), ^{[6] [7] [8]} Java Lounge ^[9] and the co-founder of Grasshoppers Pvt. Ltd. which provides logistics to small enterprises in Sri Lanka. ^[10]

Early life and career

Dulith was born in Colombo. He did his schooling at Royal College, Colombo. ^{[11] [12]} Dulith graduated from the University of Kentucky.

Herath founded Kapruka.com in February 2002. ^{[13] [14] [15]} In 2012, Herath launched the local coffeehouse chain Java Lounge. ^{[16] [17]} In 2016, Herath along with Harsha Liyanage started logistics provider Grasshoppers Pvt. Ltd. ^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}

He received the Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award in 2013. ^{[22] [23] [24] [25] [26]}

In 2017, Herath received an Eisenhower Fellowship in the United States. ^[27]

Controversies

In September 2017, Dulith came under criticism for remarks he made at a forum organised by the Daily FT and the Colombo University MBA Alumni Association. Herath argued that rising volumes of small e-commerce parcels ordered from platforms such as Alibaba and eBay should be better controlled “at the post office level” to ensure “fair trade” for local sellers. ^{[28] [29]}

In March 2020, Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) raided Kapruka.com during the COVID-19 curfew, alleging that some essential items were priced above government-set maximum retail prices (MRPs). ^{[30] [31]} Dulith Herath later apologised, saying it was a mistake that had been corrected. ^{[32] [33]} The following month, the Sunday Times reported that Kapruka had refunded about LKR 1.5 million to affected customers. ^[34] In May 2020, customers complained about Kapruka selling low quality Mother's Day gifts Including spoiled or near-expired products. ^[35]

References

1. https://sinhala.srilankamirror.com/news/23289-kapruka-com
2. "Govt., private sector struggling to balance supply-demand equation - Plus | Daily Mirror".
3. "Lankan eCom Dulith Herath meets Jack Ma of Alibaba". 8 May 2017.
4. "Kapruka founder tell APIIT MBA's ' Even today, I do coding-it's my life' | Mirror Education". edu.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
5. "Kapruka founder tell APIIT MBA's ' Even today, I do coding-it's my life' | Mirror Education". edu.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
6. "Kapruka Holding PLC – Corporate Details". 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
7. "Sl's largest locally owned e-com giant, Kapruka reflects on upcoming IPO". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
8. Lanka, Kapruka Sri. "Dulith Herath - CEO / Founder of Kapruka.com". Kapruka. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
9. "About Us – Java Lounge | Sri Lanka's Largest Coffee House Chain" . Retrieved 2022-12-04.
10. "DULITH HERATH". Archived from the original on 2017-09-26.
11. Senanayake, Maheen (7 March 2015). "El Dorado". The Island.
12. "LIFE - LMD". 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
13. "Kapruka Holding PLC – Corporate Details". 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
14. "The man behind the wishing tree: Dulith Herath and Kapruka | README". www.readme.lk. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31.
15. "Kapruka Founder and Chairman Dulith Herath". Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
16. "Anuradha Herath: Leading Sri Lanka's Coffee Revolution with Java Lounge - Global CEO Magazine". 2024-10-02. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
17. "Anuradha Herath Managing Director and the Pillar of Strength of Java Lounge". www.lw.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
18. Roy, Debjyoti (20 June 2017). "Aavishkaar strikes second deal in Sri Lanka". VC Circle.
19. "Kapruka CEO's Eisenhower Fellowship brings wealth of knowledge to Sri Lanka's e-commerce eco-system". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
20. "Kapruka founder Dulith Herath addresses United Nations E-commerce Week in Geneva | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
21. "A Homegrown Delivery Model Driven by Technology". Island of Ingenuity. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
22. "Kapruka.com's Dulith Herath bags top Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
23. "Kapruka.com | APEA - Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards". APEA - Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards - Asia Pacific's Most Prestigious Awards For Entrepreneurs. 2018-08-07. Archived from the original on 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
24. "Kapruka.com's Dulith Herath bags top Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
25. "PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
26. "Kapruka's Dulith Herath presented 'Asia Pacific Retail Entrepreneur of the Year' award | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
27. "Kapruka CEO's Eisenhower Fellowship brings wealth of knowledge to Sri Lanka's e-commerce eco-system". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
28. "Young leaders show the way for 2018 Budget". Daily FT. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
29. "Kapruka Founder Dulith Herath Censured Online For 'Anti-Free Market' Comments At Pre-Budget Forum". www.asianmirror.lk. Archived from the original on 2017-09-22.
30. "CAA raids e-platform for selling essential items over fixed price". Daily FT. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
31. "CAA cracks the whip on online sellers: Fixed prices announced". The Sunday Times. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
32. "Kapruka Responds to Pricing Concerns". Kapruka Blog. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
33. Niroshani, Dhanushika (2020-04-15). "Kapruka chairman apologises for overpricing some items". Agamya News. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
34. Weerasinghe, Tharushi (12 April 2020). "Kapruka refunding clients to tune of Rs 1.5mn". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
35. "Kapruka In Hot Water Again For Selling Low-Quality Mother's Day Gifts Including Spoiled And Near-Expired Products". Asian Mirror. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2025.

External links

• Kapruka.com