Sri Lanka charts bold AI future as inaugural National AI Expo & Conference 2025 concludes

From left: Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, SLT Group Chairman Dr. Mothilal De Silva, and Digital Economy Ministry Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala at the opening of Sri Lanka’s first-ever National AI Expo & Conference 2025

Panel discussion on AI Implementation Challenges: From Investment to Impact featuring, Dialog Axiata Group Chief Analytics and AI Officer Dr. Romesh Ranawana, Digital Economy Ministry Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala, SLT Group Chairman Dr. Mothilal De Silva, Mobitel COO Sudharshana Geeganage, and moderated by Analysys Mason – Dubai Sr. Principal Arun Pai

Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne presents award to winning team of Codeblast Hackathon 2025, Team X from University of Moratuwa joined by Digital Economy Ministry Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala, SLT Group Chairman Dr. Mothilal De Silva, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Sri Lanka Director General Rtd. Air Vice Marshall Bandula Herath, Mobitel COO Sudharshana Geeganage, and SLT-Mobitel CMO Prabhath Dahanayake

• Signals nation’s rise as South Asian tech and innovation hub

Sri Lanka’s first-ever National AI Expo & Conference 2025 concluded on 30 September in Colombo, marking a transformative milestone in the nation’s journey toward becoming a regional artificial intelligence hub. Pioneered by Digital Economy Ministry and SLT-MOBITEL, the two-day event brought together local and global leaders, innovators, policymakers, to chart an ambitious roadmap for Sri Lanka’s AI-powered future.  

Landmark conference addresses AI integration across all sectors

The conference explored AI’s role in digital economy, education, healthcare, agriculture, and national security. Experts stressed human capital development, innovation ecosystems, ethical deployment, and inclusivity, highlighting the need to democratise technology, reform education for a future-ready workforce, and strengthen cybersecurity.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya graced the occasion as Chief Guest and emphasised AI’s growing influence on decision-making, envisioning Sri Lanka as a leader in using technology to solve problems, create opportunities, and build a fairer society. She stressed that critical thinking and scepticism are vital to keep innovation ethical and impactful and the importance of preparing a workforce capable of navigating modern technology, with a focus on integrating digital literacy and data education into the national curriculum. 

Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne stressed AI’s importance and its overall contribution to the Digital Economy. Deputy Minister compared AI to electricity in its transformative power, calling on industry to invest in talent and ideas while ensuring equitable access that supports rural and urban communities, local languages, and Sri Lanka’s unique needs. He also announced plans for a dedicated start-up funding program beginning in January 2026 to support AI research and innovation. 

SLT Group Chairman Dr. Mothilal De Silva, highlighted the pivotal role of telecommunications infrastructure in enabling AI, describing data networks as the ‘arteries carrying blood.’ He underscored SLT-MOBITEL’s commitment to advancing AI responsibly, ensuring data sovereignty, providing AI-as-a-service for all, and fostering broad stakeholder collaboration to build an inclusive, AI-enabled society. Dr. De Silva also emphasised the importance of partnerships between Government, industry, and academia to position Sri Lanka as a leader in the global AI landscape. 

Exhibition showcase brings AI to life

Alongside the conference, a dynamic exhibition brought AI to life through demos, workshops, and hands-on experiences, drawing thousands of participants. Huawei, as technology partner, showcased AI-powered cloud, smart city, healthcare, and education solutions, linking global innovations to local needs. The event was further supported by Microsoft, AWS, EGUARDIAN, Tech One Global, WebAppClouds, Xencia, Aventude, Inflow Tech, Universal College Lanka, Clarity, NCINGA, Sri Lanka Insurance General, Connex IT, SLASSCOM, and FITIS.

A key highlight was the SLT-MOBITEL AI Campus, where students engaged in robotics, coding, and AI tools, receiving mentorship and guidance on courses and career paths while exploring real-world applications. The exhibition also featured hackathons and innovation challenges, concluding with an Awards and Recognition Ceremony that honoured winners across categories. The National AI Expo & Conference established a platform for collaboration among research institutions, enterprises, and students.

The Expo concluded with a renewed pledge to position Sri Lanka as a South Asian hub for digital services, fostering an ecosystem where tech entrepreneurs, SMEs, and multinational investors can thrive in a secure, innovation-driven economy.