Sri Lanka’s Digital Economy Vision Anchored in People

COLOMBO (News 1st); Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne acknowledged that vision alone is not enough to drive Sri Lanka’s digital transformation.

Drawing a vivid analogy, the Minister compared the global tech shift to everyone trading in their feature phones for smartphones — all at once. 

He argued that Sri Lanka’s engineers and developers must not only participate in this shift but lead it, moving from software development to invention and innovation.

To achieve this, the government’s strategy is built on four foundational pillars:

People First:
Sri Lanka’s greatest asset is its people. The government will integrate AI and data literacy into the national curriculum and launch upskilling programs to build an AI-ready workforce.

Ideas Need Space to Grow:
A vibrant start-up ecosystem will be fostered through funding, incubators, and regulated sandboxes. A fund-of-funds will be launched in January 2026 to support research and development and scale the start-up community.

No One Gets Left Behind:
Technology must be a bridge, not a wall. It must serve both a shop owner in Jaffna and a tech CEO in Colombo, respecting Sri Lanka’s languages and culture. The digital future must be inclusive and accessible to all.

Team Effort, Not Solo Mission:
The government will lead where necessary, setting guardrails for safe and ethical progress, while supporting innovators. But the true drivers of transformation will be industry leaders, start-ups, academics, and citizens.

The Minister also addressed the risks of powerful technologies, warning of AI-driven misinformation, deepfakes, scams, and cyberattacks. 

He stressed the importance of foresight, vigilance, and smart policy, announcing that Sri Lanka’s national AI strategy, including an ethical AI framework, is now open for public comment — ensuring citizen participation in shaping the country’s digital future.

In addition, the government is strengthening national cyber defences, recognizing that security and trust are essential to sustainable digital growth.