Sri Lanka’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit 2025 advances action on building an inclusive digital economy

Today, the Ministry of Digital Economy, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and key collaborators, kicked off the Sri Lanka Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit 2025 . Taking place from 5-6 February 2025 in Colombo, the Summit underscores the critical role of DPI as an

enabler in building the country’s digital economy with universal DPI safeguards embedded to ensure safety and inclusion.

With transparency, safety and inclusion prioritized,  the Summit 2025 brings together global leaders, key experts, innovators, and stakeholders from diverse sectors for dialogue and action on existing challenges and opportunities around DPI to accelerate economic growth and progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit is timely given the recent adoption of the Global Digital Compact, which highlights DPI’'s potential in driving countries’ inclusive digital transformation and innovation.Key participants in the opening session included: Hon. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy; Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to H. E. President on Digital Economy; Antonio Zaballos, Director, Digital Sector Office, ADB; Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, UNDP Sri Lanka;  Srikanth Nadhamuni, Founder CTO, Aadhaar;  Keyzom Ngodup Massally, Head of Digital & AI Programmes, UNDP Chief Digital Office; and other high-level representations from the public and private sectors.  

Highlighting the Ministry’s leadership, Hon. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy stated, “It is worthwhile noting that for the Government, digital transformation is not just a trend – it represents a fundamental shift that could propel our economy to new heights. DPI is not just a buzzword – we recognize its value and that it will serve as the backbone for any digital transformation efforts we embark on. Our vision for a digital Sri Lanka is nothing, if not ambitious. The Government envisions Sri Lanka’s digital economy reaching $15 billion by 2030.”

The Summit emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships and cross-sector collaboration in successfully designing and implementing DPI at scale, particularly with the necessary safeguards to anticipate and mitigate risks. 

Commenting on Sri Lanka’s Digital Gameplan, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to H. E. President on Digital Economy added, “The primacy given to Digital Economy Acceleration by the Government of Sri Lanka is exemplified by the creation of the Digital Economy Ministry under the direct purview of His Excellency the President. The Ministry is committed to building a robust digital economy that benefits all citizens. Our goal is to use digital transformation to accelerate economic growth, achieve leapfrog elevation of Citizen and Business Services and eliminate asymmetries across the socio-economic pyramid. The establishment, and accelerated adoption of DPIs is a foundational pillar of this strategy. We are confident that the DPI summit will bring together the effort and commitment of likeminded stakeholders to support the achievement of Sri Lanka’s Digital Economy ambitions.”

Sharing insights as a co-host of the Summit, Mr. Takafumi Kadono, ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka commented, “Digital Public Infrastructure is an essential enabler of Digital Transformation. As our economies and societies digitalize, Government is called upon to provide the high-speed digital rails and competencies that this requires. We at ADB look forward to supporting Sri Lanka's ambitions to become a Digital Economy Powerhouse.”

The ‘Transforming Local Administrative Data Collection Systems for SDG Acceleration in Sri Lanka’ project was highlighted during the event. Led by the Government of Sri Lanka, implemented by UNDP Sri Lanka and the World Health Organization (WHO) in SriLanka, and funded by the UN Sri Lanka SDG Fund, the project demonstrates Sri Lanka’s commitment to leveraging DPI for improved service delivery, economic efficiency, and citizen empowerment as a first mover country of the 50-in-5 global campaign. 

Speaking at the Summit, Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka noted, “Digital platforms can contribute greatly to building trust between government institutions and citizens by enhancing accessibility, transparency, safety, and responsiveness of services. As part of our commitment to advancing accountable institutions for SDGs attainment, UNDP, globally and locally here in Sri Lanka, supports designing national policy frameworks, building capabilities for digital adoption, as well as introducing tangible digital solutions for improved public service delivery. As Sri Lanka spearheads digitalization, this inaugural Summit is a pivotal step in Sri Lanka’s Digital journey. Leveraging digital public infrastructure that is safe, inclusive and sustainable is crucial for leapfrogging economic growth while ensuring everyone benefits from this transformational journey.”

Over the two days, the Summit will feature interactive panel discussions, and workshops facilitated by Citra Lab along with industry experts, government representatives and delegates that will delve into various applications of DPI. These range from sectoral applications related to Tax and Revenue, Transport, and Tourism, to DPI for the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and broader legal identity. With over 350 delegates in attendance, the event will serve as a platform to foster collaboration, generate actionable insights, and drive forward the nation’s digital transformation agenda.

The DPI Summit is facilitated by Citra Lab, together with knowledge partners including the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI), Deloitte, and Vital Strategies. Industry partners include the Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM), the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS), and the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL). Huawei joins as the strategic event partner, reflecting a broad collaboration to drive innovation and digital transformation.

**Ends**

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From left to right: Mr. Heshan Karunaratne, President, Computer Society of Sri Lanka; Mr. Indika de Zoysa, Chairman of the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) and Vice President at Huawei Technologies Lanka Co (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. Nishan Mendis, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM); Mr. Takafumi Kadono, Country Director, Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank; Mr. Antonio Zaballos, Director of the Digital Sector Office, Asian Development Bank; Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme in Sri Lanka; Mr. Pradeep Saputantri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Mr. Srikanth Nadhamuni, Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Aadhaar; Hon. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy; Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy; Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary-Acting, Ministry of Digital Economy; Ms. Keyzom Ngodup, Head of Digital & AI Programmes at UNDP’s Chief Digital Office; Mr. N. S. N. Murty, Government & Public Services Consulting Leader, Deloitte; Mr. Andy Peng, CTO, Enterprise Business Group (EBG) of Huawei South Asia; and Mr. Martin Bratschi, Technical Director – CRVS, from Vital Strategies.