In a bid to strengthen commitment and partnership towards the South Asia region, Puneet Chandok, the president of Microsoft India and South Asia, made his inaugural visit to Sri Lanka in March 2024, since taking office in September 2023, Microsoft said.

Building on the two-decade journey of empowering the people of Sri Lanka through Cloud and AI technologies, Puneet engaged in discussions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena during his two-day visit. The discussions explored the transformative potential of AI in uplifting societies and communities, while discussing how innovative technological solutions can propel Sri Lanka towards becoming a digital nation.

Fostering global competitiveness and investing into the digital future of the country, Microsoft and the Ministry of Education joined forces with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate AI to the national school curriculum starting grade 8, thereby equipping students with essential skills for the future. This marks a significant milestone for the education landscape of Sri Lanka, Microsoft said.

Commenting on his debut visit representing Microsoft in Sri Lanka, Puneet Chandok, president, Microsoft India and South Asia, remarked, “I am honored to continue building on Microsoft’s two-decade-long legacy in Sri Lanka with a renewed thrust towards AI innovation that puts people first. During my meeting with President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Gunawardena, we discussed how Microsoft can build on its partnership with the government of Sri Lanka towards solving challenges faced by the communities. The MoU with the Ministry of Education is exemplary of that work, and we are proud to play a role in advancing Sri Lanka’s innovation agenda with a boost towards the ICT sector. It was truly inspiring to witness the steps Sri Lanka is taking to ensure inclusivity in innovation. As AI continues to be the defining technology of our time, Microsoft is committed to being Sri Lanka’s copilot for economic and societal transformation.”

Lastly, concluding in a truly collaborative manner, the visit also witnessed Puneet engaging with key business leaders and CXOs in a special session called “Microsoft CEO Connect”, wherein the group catalyzed dynamic conversations on the disruptive potential of AI across industries, and discussed Microsoft’s role in equipping Sri Lankan organizations with cutting-edge technologies to advance innovation.