News
‘Sri Lanka’s first ever National AI Expo and Conference to drive transformation towards an AI-powered future
Ministry of Digital Economy and SLT-MOBITEL pioneer national initiative
Sri Lanka pioneers a new era with the launch of the inaugural National AI Expo & Conference, scheduled for September 29-30, 2025, setting the stage for a transformative shift in the nation’s digital evolution. The trailblazing initiative is the country’s most ambitious undertaking to position Sri Lanka as a leading AI hub in the Asia-Pacific region, accelerating artificial intelligence adoption throughout all economic sectors.
The organisers issued the following statement: “The National AI Expo & Conference will be a landmark national platform designed to propel Sri Lanka’s journey towards an AI-powered future, directly supporting the country’s strategic vision to expand the digital economy from an estimated US$3.5 billion in 2025 to US$15 billion in 2030. Artificial intelligence is projected to contribute 10-12% of this ambitious growth trajectory, positioning AI as a cornerstone in Sri Lanka’s economic transformation.
The historic collaboration between the Ministry of Digital Economy and SLT-MOBITEL demonstrates unprecedented unity in driving national technological advancement. The collaboration is further strengthened by SLASSCOM’s contribution as the event’s Ecosystem Partner, highlighting its ongoing commitment to catalysing growth within Sri Lanka’s digital space. The framework aligns seamlessly with Sri Lanka’s broader digital economy goals and long-term vision of establishing the nation as a regional technology leader, ensuring inclusive growth reaches every citizen.
The statement quoted Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy as having said, “The National AI Expo & Conference sets the foundation stone for Sri Lanka’s AI-powered future. The programme reaffirms the Government’s commitment to transforming Sri Lanka into a digitally empowered nation where artificial intelligence functions as a catalyst for innovation, economic growth, and improved quality of life for all citizens. In embracing AI, we are systematically developing Sri Lanka to lead the region in responsible AI adoption and implementation.”
The two-day flagship event, powered by SLT-MOBITEL, will bring cutting-edge global technology to local industries, offering businesses, professionals, and the public unprecedented access to AI innovations shaping Sri Lanka’s technological future. The conference will address critical themes essential for Sri Lanka’s AI journey, including responsible AI governance, trust and ethics, implementation challenges, and sector-specific applications in banking and financial services, healthcare, education, agriculture, and small and medium enterprises, etc.
Dr. Mothilal De Silva, Chairman, SLT-MOBITEL noted, “SLT-MOBITEL as Sri Lanka’s National ICT Solutions Provider, recognises the immense potential of artificial intelligence and it becomes our responsibility to drive the country’s digital future. We are already advancing AI integration across the country through SLT-MOBITEL’s own innovations Hello AI and AI Pazz, demonstrating how smart technologies can improve everyday life and business outcomes. Through the National AI Expo & Conference, we are committed to ensuring every Sri Lankan, from all communities, has the opportunity to participate and benefit from the AI revolution. It will be our legacy contribution to building a digitally inclusive and prosperous Sri Lanka, and we look forward to the active participation of all key stakeholders at the event in September and throughout this journey.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will unveil Sri Lanka’s comprehensive AI roadmap during the conference, alongside the unveiling of a National AI Fund and Centre for AI Excellence.
The event will feature exhibitions, keynotes, and hands-on workshops, positioning Sri Lanka as a competitive regional AI hub. An impressive lineup of thought leaders from leading global technology companies will attend, including Huawei’s Li Shi, Head Middle East, speaking on AI infrastructure solutions, telco cloud strategies, and 5G integration. Meta will participate through Sandya Devanathan, Vice President & Head – India and South-East Asia, and Kim-Leng Hoeu, Agency Partner, Global Network Agencies at Meta, demonstrating AI applications in social platforms and business transformation. The presence of these tech giants set a vibrant platform in offering Sri Lankan businesses direct access to world-class AI technologies.
The conference will address AI applications across critical sectors including Agriculture, Healthcare, Finance & Banking, Education, Manufacturing, Transportation, E-commerce, Insurance, Hospitality, and Environmental management. Core themes include National AI Strategy development, Responsible AI governance and ethics, AI implementation challenges, skills development, and sector-specific applications. Special focus will be on localisation challenges such as language processing, cultural adaptation, and bridging generational gaps in AI literacy, in addition to addressing citizen services in healthcare, education, and public safety, plus AI scaling solutions for SMEs and startups.
Phase 2 of the initiative, scheduled from November 2025 to May 2026, will expand into regional hubs including Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Kandy, and Matara, with the goal that AI literacy and adoption reach every corner of the island. The comprehensive approach highlights the government’s commitment to leaving no community behind in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation.
The National AI Expo also aims to support SMEs and MSMEs, showcasing technological solutions to uplift and enable a digitally literate lifestyle for all sectors of society. Through Presidential Awards recognising excellence in AI innovation, the event will celebrate Sri Lankan ingenuity and inspire continued advancement in artificial intelligence applications.
During the conference, extensive networking opportunities will enable collaboration between academia, startups, leading companies, local innovators, and international investors, creating an ecosystem of collective success to drive Sri Lanka as a regional AI powerhouse.
Further information about the National AI Expo & Conference 2025 can be found at AIEXPO.LK.
NATA to be given more powers
The Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health, Mass Media and Women’s Empowerment has agreed in principle to ban single-stick sales of cigarettes and increase taxes on tobacco products, according to parliamentary sources.
The decision was reached during an institutional review of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) held recently in Parliament. The meeting was chaired by MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe.
During the review, NATA officials informed the committee that approximately 22,000 deaths occurred annually in Sri Lanka due to tobacco and alcohol consumption. They said the country suffered an economic loss of between Rs. 225 billion and Rs. 240 billion each year due to the consumption of tobacco products and alcohol.
Officials told the committee that steps were underway to amend the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act to grant it more powers.
Noting that 104 countries had already banned the sale of loose cigarettes, the underscored the need for Sri Lanka to adopt a similar policy. When loose cigarettes were sold, mandatory health warnings on cigarette packets were not visible to consumers, the NATA officials said.
The committee was also briefed on the importance of imposing taxes on cigarettes after determining their retail prices, as part of broader measures aimed at reducing tobacco consumption.
Commenting on the matter, Dr. Abeysinghe said the committee was prepared to extend its full support for the proposed amendments to the Act, as well as for other programmes and initiatives undertaken by the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol.
Deputy Chair of the Committees Hemali Weerasekara, committee members MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Muneer Mulaffer, Samanmali Gunasinghe, Prof Sena Nanayakkara, Dr S. Sri Bhavanandarajah, Dr Ramanathan Archchuna and with the permission of the Chair, MPs Dr. Janaka Senarathna and Dr Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam were present at the committee meeting.
The hunger strike launched by a group of Development Officers demanding their absorption into the teacher service entered its fourth day yesterday (29) outside the Presidential Secretariat Colombo.The protesters, members of the Ceylon School Development Officers’ Union (CSDOU), began their satyagraha on January 26.
One of the four officers participating in the fast-unto-death fell seriously ill on the fourth day and was rushed to hospital for treatment, while the remaining three continued the hunger strike. Earlier, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, visited the protest site to examine the health of the protesters and oversaw the administration of saline to those suffering from dehydration.
CSDOU Secretary Viraj Manaranga criticised authorities for refusing to listen to the protestors.
“Not a single official from the relevant authorities has come forward to hear our grievances, which is a matter of serious concern,” he said, accusing the government of negligence and “stepmotherly treatment” of the issue.
The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) echoed the need for legal and procedural adherence, noting that there are currently 40,000 teacher vacancies nationwide. The union stressed that a significant number of development officers and graduates remain outside the teaching service, despite provisions in the teacher service constitution allowing for their appointments, which fall under the powers of Provincial Councils.
National People’s Power (NPP) MP Chandana Sooriyarachchi said graduate development officers are required to sit a compulsory competitive examination. Former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, who oversaw appointments under the Good Governance administration, also stated that direct appointments are legally not feasible. He added that school development officers were absorbed into the teacher service in 2018 through competitive exams and stressed that appointments must follow established procedures, warning that strikes would not alter this process.
The hunger strike continues to draw attention to the demands of the Development Officers as they urge the government to take immediate steps to address their grievances.
Sri Lanka and other small Asian economies must accelerate trade diversification or face heightened vulnerability to global tariff disputes and shifting supply chains, warned Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Speaking in Colombo on the evolving global trade landscape, Srinivasan highlighted Asia’s growing exposure, particularly in the wake of tariff tensions between the United States and China. “Asia benefited a lot from trade integration, benefited a lot from openness to trade,” he said. “So much so that when tariffs were imposed by the US, Asia was subject to the highest level of tariffs.”
He cautioned that the region that gained most from open markets is now at risk of bearing the brunt of protectionist measures. For countries like Sri Lanka, he said, the message is clear: diversify or be exposed.
Srinivasan also noted that South Asia remains the least integrated sub-region in the continent. “Having greater integration with your partners within the sub-region will take you a long way,” he said. For small economies, he added, building deeper trade ties with neighbours and broadening export and production bases is essential for resilience.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has received a strong vote of confidence from the IMF following a high-level meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the delegation at the Presidential Secretariat.
The visiting IMF representatives, who arrived on January 22 to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, spent a week touring the island, engaging with affected communities and observing the impact firsthand. In a briefing, the delegation praised the government’s swift relief efforts, infrastructure restoration, and commitment to rebuilding lives, noting widespread appreciation among citizens for the administration’s handling of the crisis.
Showers will occur at times in the Eastern, Northern, North-Central and Uva provinces and in Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Tobacco and alcohol claim 22,000 lives annually
Development Officers hunger strike drags on for fourth day
IMF urges Lanka to diversify trade amidst global tariff risks
Shocking 10,455 complaints of Children’s rights violations lodged with NCPA last year
Sea Street gold prices gallop
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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