SLASSCOM’s Product and Platform Council to champion creation of world-class tech products

The Sri Lanka Association of Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) recently launched a Product and Platform Council (PPC), which aims to become an important catalyst in inspiring and

SLASSCOM Chairman  Channa Manohara

SLASSCOM Director Operations Shevan Goonetilleke

encouraging innovation and creation of technology centric products in Sri Lanka for the local and global market. 

The PPC will unite individuals and companies in Sri Lanka who possess a great track record for creating and marketing exceptional technology-based products and platforms. The PPC will also encourage startups and SMEs, who possess the ability to create unique technology products, to the frontline. The initiative holds the potential to help boost the country’s economy through revenue from product sales, new investments, and increase in employment, whilst bringing global recognition as a destination for innovation and IP creation. 

SLASSCOM Chairman Channa Manoharan believes that this initiative will be the stepping-stone towards ensuring and establishing Sri Lanka’s reputation in creating world class products and platforms. “IP creation currently contributes to 5% of Sri Lanka’s IT-BPM export value. We believe Sri Lanka has the potential to push this contribution to a much higher value and the PPC will play an important role in achieving this,” he said. 

The Sri Lanka IT-BPM sector has set an ambitious target which aims to achieve export earnings of $ 5 billion by 2025 while employing 200,000. The industry at present employs over 80,000. 

Over the years, Sri Lanka has recorded several success stories for its product creations which were sought after by an impressive number of global clients, resulting in the country emerging as a global destination for product engineering. 

SLASSCOM Director Operations Shevan Goonetilleke believes that Sri Lanka has the innate potential to build on this position by encouraging local companies and individuals to innovate and create more products for the global market. “The PPC creates a platform to bring together product experts, people who are passionate about product development as well as companies which have been successful in the past for creating such products and attracting global customers,” he said. 

Goonetilleke said that PPC will come together to focus at length on potential challenges that the industry faces including barriers around policy, infrastructure and funding related matters if its goal is to be fulfilled. “Ultimately, by executing a well-structured program, we want to influence government policy, among other areas,” he added. 

SLASSCOM’s PPC will also take steps to facilitate a multitude of industry forums, workshops and panel discussions to impart insights in relation to meeting the objective of the Council in ensuring new products are created targeting the global market. Following on from these activities, the PPC will organise into several focus areas that will actively work towards improving relevant policy and infrastructure through dialogue with the government and related stakeholders, execute programs that would foster creativity and encourage idea generation and also improve skills around product engineering, product management and product marketing. There will also be efforts that would focus on helping companies build brand presence globally and tap into global funding sources.