Sri Lanka’s AI– Investment Opportunities and Disrupt Asia-2025 promoted in London

A panel discussion to promote investment opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka, jointly organised by the Sri Lanka–UK Chamber of Commerce- London (SLUKCC) and the High Commission of Sri Lanka, was held on 31.07.2025 at the High Commission premises. The panel comprised the distinguished professional and academic invitees- Professor Harin Sellahewa, Dean Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology, University of Buckingham, Mr. Sanjay Bowry, Chief Financial Officer, Gravitee and the Co-founder, VBG Brands Ltd- UK, Dr. Ashok Suppiah, Sustainability Champion Author and the Co-founder Mitra & Experienz- UK, Mr. Kumi Thiruchelvam, Chief Commercial Officer of My Voice AI and the Chairman, Neural Voice AI, Independent Angel Investor (UK, Sri Lanka) and Mr. Eranga Pathirage, President of the SLUKCC and the Chief People Officer, Kaya Global Inc,- UK. Around 45 participants and industry leaders attended this event.

Delivering opening remarks, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the UK Mr. Nimal Senadheera appreciated the SLUKCC for their sustained efforts in supporting joint promotional initiatives organised with the High Commission. He highlighted the evolving new political, economic and social landscape in Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government prioritising transparency, accountability and inclusivity. This has inspired renewed investor confidence both domestically and internationally. The country is moving forward with bold institutional reforms, the restoration of the rule of law and policy consistency.

Outlining Sri Lanka-UK trade relations, High Commissioner mentioned that UK remains as the second-largest export destination for Sri Lanka with a market share of 7.5% and exports valued over USD 900 million in 2024. Apparel exports to the UK have grown by nearly 6.5% in the first half of 2025. This positive trend will be further supported by the introduction of more flexible Rules of Origin for apparel by the UK Government under its Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which will come into effect early 2026. The UK is also Sri Lanka’s second-largest source of FDI, with total investments of approximately USD 1.7 billion from 2005 to 2024, spanning over 75 projects especially in ICT, BPO/KPOs. Also, the UK is the second biggest source of tourists to Sri Lanka with over 120,000 arrivals by mid-July this year with expectation to reach 225,000 by year-end, returning to pre-pandemic level.

With a dedicated Ministry for the Digital Economy under the direct leadership of the President, Government aims to generate USD 5 billion in export revenue from IT and digital services by 2030. Until June this year, Sri Lanka has earned USD 418.5 million from IT and BPO exports, with a 6.1% growth compared to the first half of 2024. In this context, High Commissioner said that the AI presents a significant frontier for innovation and investment. Sri Lanka has a distinct opportunity to position itself as a competitive player in the global AI landscape. The country is home to a skilled, tech-savvy workforce with strong foundations in mathematics, engineering, and computer science. Our software development industry is known for its agility, technical sophistication, and English language proficiency making Sri Lanka a reliable partner for delivering complex digital solutions to clients worldwide, he further said. Now is the time to leverage this talent and reputation which is needed to attract forward-looking investments and build collaborative networks that enable Sri Lanka to become a regional hub for AI-powered innovations. The panel discussion will help to identify viable pathways for the transformation.

High Commissioner also welcomed the senior representatives from the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka who joined virtually and spoke about the next edition of “Disrupt Asia” to be held in Sri Lanka in September 2025, a major national innovation summit of Sri Lanka. High Commissioner strongly encouraged participants to attend at “Disrupt Asia” 2025.

The interactive panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Eranga Pathirage highlighting on the relevance for Sri Lanka particularly attracting investments and making opportunities available for our talent pool. Discussion focused on a range topics such as AI and digital innovations, strengths that Sri Lanka has in the field, global experience working with Sri Lankan tech talent, AI product companies and related FDIs. Mr. Sachindra Samararatne, Associate Chief Digital Economy Officer from the ICTA presented details on the forthcoming “Disrupt Asia 2025” and answered participant’s questions at length. Mr. Somasena Mahadiulwewa, Minister (Commercial) at the High Commission represented at the Q&A Session. Mr. Charles Rohan de Alwis, General Secretary of the SLUKCC delivered the vote of thanks. (ENDs)

 

High Commission of Sri Lanka,

London,

01.08.2025