Business
‘Sri Lanka’s IT export revenue can grow 10x by delivering business outcomes over mere technology’
As Sri Lanka’s long-standing IT export dominance continues to be tested through the emergence of similarly positioned but more cost-effective destinations, a dialogue has started on a much-needed shift in the IT sector’s export outlook, skills, and positioning.
Such concerns were raised by former Australian Computer Society President Yohan Ramasundara in a panel discussion at the Heritance Hotel – Negombo, convened informally during a recent visit to the island, where he highlighted sector issues and tech serving a business purpose as a potential value differentiator globally.
The Sri Lankan-born IT pioneer addressed an audience comprising a diverse group of tech leaders including the local arm of Beta Launch, a Melbourne-based product management and engineering consultancy where he is Co-Founder.
A highly respected IT and Governance professional whose counsel is sought internationally by bodies ranging from the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP – UNESCO) to WFEO – World Federation of Engineering Organizations, Yohan has also been instrumental in shaping Australia’s startup ecosystem having previously held the position of Chairman at both Startup Catalyst and River City Labs Accelerator.
Drawing on his extensive experience shaping the Australian tech industry, the discussion focused on Sri Lanka’s current IT export issues including growth constraints and the limiting nature of the IT sector’s value proposition globally.
‘Clients now expect digital products and projects to meet their expected business outcomes, regardless of industry, and where Sri Lankan talent falls short despite our proficient tech skills, is in grasping customer and business requirements properly to ensure the outcomes outlined for specific projects are delivered beyond mere tech delivery’, Yohan stated.
As a solution to the problem, the discipline of product management was put forth as offering a framework to match customer and business needs through tech, so it isn’t disconnected from business outcomes clients look to achieve. This would allow Sri Lanka to position itself as IT and product management consultancy specialists that can compete with other IT consultancy-focused nations, rather than with tech sellers in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.
‘We must move away from positioning ourselves as selling software engineering and UX professionals to creating partnerships with clients that’ll enable them to achieve their outcomes, so that when a global client engages a Sri Lankan firm, they can hit their OKRs as well and not just get their tech done’, Yohan explained.
Drawing attention briefly to his own Melbourne and Sri Lanka based product management and engineering consultancy Beta Launch, Yohan spoke of how they’ve been relentlessly solving business problems for clients but noticed how many in Sri Lanka focus on the tech and the business separately and rarely together.
Yohan brought the panel discussion to a close stating, ‘I believe the Sri Lankan IT export sector can grow exponentially if our talent not only develops proficiency in their own technical domain, but acquires more knowledge about different business domains, so we can solve the world’s business problems through tech’.
Beta Launch conducts its product management workshops for enterprise and startup clients globally and has parallelly established knowledge transfer partnerships with Sri Lankan universities, to ensure the IT and product philosophy of serving business outcomes through tech can enable the sector’s pursuit of export growth.
Dr. R. A. D. Jeewantha was honoured as the Most Innovative Dentist of the Year at the Business World International Awards, 2025. Organised by the Business World International Organisation, the award ceremony was held recently at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. A graduate of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Dr. Jeewantha has built a reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most respected and forward-thinking dental surgeons. After gaining vital experience in Government hospitals, including the Teaching Hospital in Karapitiya, he also served at a leading private hospital before launching his own practice—Doctor J Premium Dental Care in Delkanda, Nugegoda.
His dental clinic is known for offering advanced, patient-focused treatments in restorative dentistry, cosmetic procedures, and implantology, using state-of-the-art technology. Dr. Jeewantha is especially skilled in dental implants, having completed the American Residency Course in Dental Implantology at Roseman University, accredited by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Dr. Jeewantha holds fellowships from the International College of Continuing Dental Education (FICCDE) and the Pierre Fauchard Academy (USA). His advanced skills include modern root canal treatments using Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) for both surgical and non-surgical procedures.
He has completed international trainings in digital dentistry, full-arch implantology techniques like All-on-Four and Zygomatic Systems, and smile design using digital 3D scans. He has participated in global dental events such as the Asia-Pacific Dental Congress and completed training at institutions including the University of Manchester and North Western State Medical University in Russia. His courses have covered everything from intraoral scanning to managing tooth wear. He has previously received many local and international awards. Dr. Jeewantha also serves the community as a Justice of the Peace for All Island.
The Foundation in Biological Studies at IIHS provides a unique alternative for students looking to fast-track their health careers after their Ordinary Level (O/L) exams. This programme offers a direct route to global health careers, bypassing traditional A/Ls. With over 1,000 students already advancing to universities in Australia, the UK, and Finland, IIHS has positioned the course as a reliable launchpad for careers in fields like medicine, nursing, biomedical sciences, and digital health. “This programme is a game-changer, offering a transformative journey into global healthcare education,” said IIHS CEO Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe.
Seylan Bank has recorded a Profit before Tax (PBT) of LKR 4,199 million in Q1 2025, marking a 13.36% growth compared to LKR 3,704 million in Q1 2024. Profit after Tax (PAT) rose by 20.29%, reaching LKR 2,761 million, up from LKR 2,295 million in the corresponding period of 2024.
Despite a decrease in net interest income by 8.37% due to market interest rate reductions, the bank’s net fee-based income grew by 13.83%, driven by fees from loans, cards, remittances, and other services. Total operating income for the quarter was LKR 11,258 million, a 3.83% decrease from the previous year, while operating expenses rose by 4.62%, largely due to increased personnel and other operating costs.
Impairment charges were significantly reduced by 83.17%, totaling LKR 262 million, reflecting the bank’s solid credit quality and proactive provisions. The bank’s impaired loan ratio improved to 1.98% from 2.10% in Q1 2024, with a provision cover ratio of 80.74%.
Seylan Bank’s total assets grew to LKR 785 billion, with loans and advances reaching LKR 469 billion and deposits totaling LKR 647 billion. The bank’s capital adequacy ratios remained strong, with the Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio at 13.67% and Total Capital Ratio at 17.64%.
In addition to its financial performance, Seylan Bank continued its commitment to education, opening 16 more “Seylan Pahasara Libraries,” bringing the total to 281 libraries across the island.Fitch Ratings upgraded Seylan Bank’s National Long-Term Rating to ‘A+(lka)’ with a Stable Outlook in January 2025, further underscoring the bank’s financial stability and growth trajectory.
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