Innovations raise Sri Lanka startups to global markets

Sri Lanka Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development and Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen joins Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine MNZSCM Dr. Saif Sulaiman (right) to launch myCliniq medical practice software in Colombo on 27 March

• ‘Sri Lanka IT industry globally competitive, but startups need work’ – Rishad
• Says National Export Strategy aims $5 b IT exports by 2022
• Only 14% SL startups expanding to new markets – SLAASCOM

IT innovations in Sri Lanka can boost the low rate of domestic start-ups entering global markets. “Sri Lanka’s growing service, technology, finance skills-base, and the IT-BPM sector, makes it a key candidate for a regional start-up hub,” stressed Minister of Industry Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development and Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen on 27 March in Colombo. 

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the Sri Lankan launch of ‘myCliniq’, an innovative medical practice management software app by a New Zealand based IT start-up at Hotel Taj Samudra on 27 March. 

myCliniq does not levy any fees from the client.Joining the event was Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine MNZSCM Dr. Saif Sulaiman.

“Sri Lanka’s growing service, technology, finance skills-base, and the IT-BPM sector, makes it a key candidate for a regional start-up hub. In this background it is clear that development of ICT new ICT startups and new ICT innovations play a major role. Specially new ICT innovations such as the myCliniq introduced here today can help in expanding our capacities to become a regional start-up hub,” said Minister Bathiudeen.

“The Government and Export Development Board are working to transform our Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector under the recently launched National Export Strategy (NES). NES has chosen six economic sectors for development and ‘information technology and business process management’ is one sector. Under NES, the ICT-BPM industry is expected to be a $ 5 billion export sector by 2022. Sri Lanka’s IT industry is globally competitive due to many factors, including the creativity of our workforce. IT Innovations can also encourage to change the low rate of new Sri Lankan startups that are expanding to new markets,” he added.

“myCliniq is highly customisable, and consultation of doctors can be directly done through built in video conferencing – therefore there is no need for the patient to use social media or phone based consultations,” said Dr. Sulaiman in his presentation.

“Information in it is accessible only to the doctor and the clients. It digitalises all medical records, has in-consultation video conferencing even with other doctors, can remind clients to refill prescriptions and can perform consultations even if doctor is on holiday,”he added.

According to SLAASCOM, 55% of Sri Lanka entrepreneurs’ start-ups are generating early revenues but only 14% new start-ups are expanding to new markets. New IT innovations can reverse this low 14% rate to higher levels.