Sri Lanka promotes AI-investment opportunities and Disrupt Asia 2025 in London

A panel discussion to promote investment opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka, jointly organised by the Sri Lanka-UK Chamber of Commerce – London (SLUKCC) and the High Commission of Sri Lanka, was held on 31 July at the High Commission premises. The panel featured a distinguished group of professional and academic including Dean Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology, University of Buckingham, Professor Harin Sellahewa, Gravitee Chief Financial Officer, and VBG Brands Ltd. – UK Co-founder Sanjay Bowry, Sustainability Champion Author and Mitra and Experienz – UK Co-founder, Ashok Suppiah, My Voice AI Chief Commercial Officer and Neural Voice AI Chairman, Independent Angel Investor (UK, Sri Lanka) Kumi Thiruchelvam, and SLUKCC President and Kaya Global Inc – UK Chief People Officer Eranga Pathirage. The session was attended by approximately 45 participants, including industry leaders and professionals from various sectors.

Delivering opening remarks, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the UK, Nimal Senadheera appreciated the SLUKCC for their sustained efforts in supporting joint promotional initiatives organised with the High Commission. He highlighted the evolving new political, economic and social landscape in Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s Government prioritising transparency, accountability and inclusivity. This has inspired renewed investor confidence both domestically and internationally. The country is moving forward with bold institutional reforms, the restoration of the rule of law and policy consistency.

Outlining Sri Lanka-UK trade relations, High Commissioner outlined that the UK remains as the second-largest export destination for Sri Lanka with a market share of 7.5% and exports valued over $ 900 million in 2024. Apparel exports to the UK have grown by nearly 6.5% in the first half of 2025. This positive trend will be further supported by the introduction of more flexible Rules of Origin for apparel by the UK Government under its Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which will come into effect early 2026. The UK is also Sri Lanka’s second-largest source of FDI, with total investments of approximately $ 1.7 billion from 2005 to 2024, spanning over 75 projects especially in ICT, BPO/KPOs. Also, the UK is the second biggest source of tourists to Sri Lanka with over 120,000 arrivals by mid-July this year with expectation to reach 225,000 by year-end, returning to pre-pandemic level.

With a dedicated Ministry for the Digital Economy under the direct leadership of the President, Government aims to generate $ 5 billion in export revenue from IT and digital services by 2030. Until June this year, Sri Lanka has earned $ 418.5 million from IT and BPO exports, with a 6.1% growth compared to the first half of 2024. In this context, High Commissioner stated that the AI presents a significant frontier for innovation and investment. Sri Lanka has a distinct opportunity to position itself as a competitive player in the global AI landscape. The country is home to a skilled, tech-savvy workforce with strong foundations in mathematics, engineering, and computer science. Our software development industry is known for its agility, technical sophistication, and English language proficiency making Sri Lanka a reliable partner for delivering complex digital solutions to clients worldwide, he added. Now is the time to leverage this talent and reputation which is needed to attract forward-looking investments and build collaborative networks that enable Sri Lanka to become a regional hub for AI-powered innovations. The panel discussion will help to identify viable pathways for the transformation.

High Commissioner also extended a welcome to the senior representatives from the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka who joined virtually and spoke about the next edition of “Disrupt Asia” to be held in Sri Lanka in September 2025, a major national innovation summit of Sri Lanka. High Commissioner strongly encouraged participants to attend at Disrupt Asia 2025.

The interactive panel discussion was moderated by Eranga Pathirage highlighting on the relevance for Sri Lanka particularly attracting investments and making opportunities available for our talent pool. Discussion focused on a range of topics such as AI and digital innovations, strengths that Sri Lanka has in the field, global experience working with Sri Lankan tech talent, AI product companies and related FDIs. ICTA Associate Chief Digital Economy Officer Sachindra Samararatne presented details on the forthcoming Disrupt Asia 2025 and engaged in an in-depth Q&A session with participants. Minister (Commercial) of the High Commission Somasena Mahadiulwewa, represented at the Q&A Session. General Secretary of the SLUKCC, Charles Rohan de Alwis delivered the vote of thanks.