In 2018, Supirivicky — Siddhalepa's flagship ayurvedic toothpaste — received international recognition when Enterprise Asia presented it with the Product category award at the International Innovation Awards (IIA). The win placed Sri Lanka alongside global names such as Dell Inc. and Ping An Group, and underlined that a centuries-old healing tradition can compete on a world stage when translated into a rigorous modern product.
What is the International Innovation Awards?
Organised by Enterprise Asia, the leading non-governmental organisation for entrepreneurship in Asia, the IIA is a global recognition programme that honours outstanding innovation across three categories: Product, Service & Solution, and Organisation & Culture. Judging criteria include innovation distinction, practicality and performance, commercial viability, social and economic impact, replicability, and institutional support. Scores are calculated using Enterprise Asia's proprietary 8D Benchmark, assessed by a panel of independent innovation experts and thought leaders.
The 2018 ceremony drew more than 400 attendees — industry experts, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders — and was supported by organisations including the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong & Macau), and TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs). Distinguished guests included Dr Fong Chan Onn, former Human Resources Minister of Malaysia and Chairman of Enterprise Asia, and Dato' William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia. That year the committee received more than 160 international nominations spanning 24 industries.
Why did Supirivicky win?
Accepting the award on behalf of the Siddhalepa Group was Managing Director Asoka Hettigoda, who described the recognition as "a testimony of my family's untiring efforts to preserve our age-old traditions and remedies in a modern form — one that would appeal to both local and international customers without losing its identity or intrinsic characteristics."
The judges rewarded Supirivicky's ability to bridge classical Ayurvedic scholarship and contemporary oral-care science. First launched to the Sri Lankan market in 1988, it was the first non-white toothpaste based on traditional ayurvedic herbs for total oral care to be introduced anywhere in Asia — a genuine first-mover innovation that has since influenced how the continent thinks about herbal dental products.
What are the Ayurvedic ingredients in Supirivicky?
Supirivicky combines nine Ayurvedic botanicals chosen for their documented effects on gums, teeth, throat, and tongue. The formulation draws on classical texts including the Charaka Samhitha (approximately 2nd century BC), the Sushruta Samhitha (approximately 6th century BC), and the Bhavaprakasha (16th century AD), among others.
- Aralu (Terminalia chebula) — valued in Ayurveda for its astringent and antimicrobial properties
- Garcinia (Garcinia cambogia) — known locally as Goraka, a key ingredient in the reformulated Supirivicky Mild
- Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) — widely used for its analgesic effect on oral tissues
- Munamal (Mimusops elengi) — traditionally applied to strengthen gums
- Katukarandu (Barleria prionitis) — cited in classical texts for oral hygiene
- Pila (Tephrosia purpurea) — included for its cleansing and anti-inflammatory profile
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) — Sri Lanka's native cinnamon, noted for antimicrobial activity
- Pepper (Piper nigrum) — used to enhance bioavailability of other ingredients
- Welmee (Glycyrrhiza glabra, liquorice root) — supports gum health and natural flavour
The toothpaste is fluoride-free. The formulation has been updated and is currently available as Supirivicky Original and Supirivicky Mild, with Goraka (Garcinia cambogia) added to the Mild variant to improve efficacy for sensitive teeth and gums.
What is the history of the Siddhalepa Group?
The story behind Supirivicky reaches back roughly 200 years to the southern coast of Sri Lanka. In Galle, Hettigoda Gamage Don Carolis de Silva — an agriculturist and skilled Ayurvedic physician — laid the intellectual foundations of what would become one of Sri Lanka's most respected health-product companies. His son, Hendrick De Silva Hettigoda, continued his Ayurvedic studies, while another descendant, the late Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha Prof. Walpola Rahula, earned worldwide renown as a Buddhist scholar.
The formal business was established in 1971. Today the Siddhalepa Group manufactures more than 400 products — medicinal oils, balms, herbal teas, elixirs, ayurvedic cosmetics, and other medicines — for both domestic and export markets. The group also operates an Ayurveda hospital, the Siddhalepa Ayurveda Resort & Spa, a city hotel (Anarva Mount Lavinia), and several spas in Sri Lanka, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Quality credentials include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, OHSAS, HACCP, SLS275, and GMP certification — making Siddhalepa the first Sri Lankan company to achieve the ISO Trinity. The group's environmental commitments have earned multiple national awards for carbon footprint reduction.
How does the Supirivicky award reflect Sri Lanka's Ayurvedic heritage?
Sri Lanka has a documented tradition of Ayurvedic medicine spanning over two millennia, much of it centred on the island's remarkable biodiversity. Botanicals such as cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper — ingredients used in Supirivicky — have been cultivated and traded from this island for centuries, long before modern oral-care science developed. The IIA award affirms that systematic modernisation of these traditions, backed by rigorous sourcing and manufacturing standards, can produce innovations that resonate globally.
For visitors travelling through Sri Lanka, Ayurvedic practices remain visible across the country — from small village dispensaries to dedicated wellness resorts. Supirivicky's international recognition adds another dimension to understanding why Ayurveda continues to hold such central importance in Sri Lankan culture.
