Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey with the official awarding of 5G spectrum licenses at a ceremonial event organised by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), under the patronage of the Ministry of Digital Economy.

The rollout of 5G is a critical enabler of Sri Lanka’s digital economy vision. 5G technology with its high speed, ultra-low latency, and enhanced reliability, will support transformative applications across many sectors such as industry, healthcare, education, logistics, smart cities, and public services, while creating new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Marking the commencement of licensed 5G deployment in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel formally received their spectrum licenses, affirming their role in advancing Sri Lanka’s next-generation mobile network infrastructure.

The event was graced by Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Eng. Eranga Weeraratne,Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Director General of TRCSL, Retired Air Vice Marshal Bandula Herath, Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, Chairman of the Auction Committee, Mr. Supun Weerasinghe, Director and Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC, and Dr. Mothilal de Silva, Chairman and Director of Mobitel (Private) Limited, along with many other senior officials and key stakeholders from the telecommunications sector.

With the official awarding of 5G spectrum licences, SLT-MOBITEL has made 5G services publicly available in Sri Lanka, supporting the country’s next phase of digital transformation. The availability of next-generation connectivity with enhanced reliability is expected to enable innovation, promote digital inclusion, and create new economic opportunities nationwide.

The launch event, held at One Galle Face Mall, was attended by Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka; Director General of TRCSL, Retired Air Vice Marshal Bandula Herath, Dr. Mothilal de Silva, Chairman and Director of Mobitel (Private) Limited, along with several senior officials.

The Market Readiness and International Market Access Workshop for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Information Technology sector, organized by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), was held yesterday (16) at the Auditorium of ICTA.

This workshop is the fourth session in a series of programs conducted under the initiative to “Accelerate Sri Lanka’s Digital Industry and Innovation Ecosystem (Digi-Industry),” which is considered a key component of the Ministry of Digital Economy’s Action Plan for 2025, implemented under the Digital Industry Startup Development Program.

The Ministry of Digital Economy, together with ICTA, is pleased to support the Market Readiness & International Market Access Workshop for IT SMEs in Colombo, building on successful workshops held in Kandy, Gampaha, and Kurunegala. This session focuses on empowering local product companies with export readiness, go-to-market strategies, and critical IP and legal insights to help them scale globally.

The workshop featured key insights from Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy and Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy, along with an industry engagement panel including Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, and Mr. Chandima Cooray, Board Director of ICTA.

Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone in disaster preparedness with the launch of the “GeoAI for Disaster Resilience” national initiative in Colombo, led by the Association of Disaster Risk Management Professionals (ADRMP).

The event brought together over 80 participants representing the Disaster Management Centre, National Disaster Relief Services Centre, Department of Meteorology, NBRO, Irrigation Department, Ministry of Health, Tri-Forces, Sri Lanka Police, telecommunications partners, private-sector innovators, academia, community-based organizations, and the media, with the participation of Ms. Jayne A. Howell, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy, and Prof. Indika Mahesh Karunathilaka, Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, highlighting a strong, cross-sector commitment to building a safer and more resilient Sri Lanka through GeoAI and innovation.

President’s Export Awards Presented Honouring Sri Lankan Exporters Who Made an Outstanding Contribution to the Export Sector

The 27th Presidential Export Awards ceremony, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) operating under the Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development, was recently held t at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall under the patronage of the Hon. Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

This prestigious national award ceremony is dedicated to recognizing Sri Lankan exporters who have made exceptional contributions to the export sector and the country’s economic advancement. The objective of presenting the Presidential Export Awards is to honour those who have rendered an outstanding service towards Sri Lanka’s economic development.

The Presidential Export Awards were first introduced by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board in 1981, and up to now, 26 award ceremonies have been successfully held. At this year’s ceremony, recognising the best exporters of Sri Lanka for 2024/2025, a total of 107 awards were presented, including 15 overall awards and 92 product and service sector awards. Additionally, based on the performance of applicants and the contribution made to the national economy in their respective sectors, Merit Awards were also presented as determined by the panel of judges.

In selecting sectoral award winners, not only export revenue but also indicators such as export market diversification, job creation, export revenue growth, repatriation of export earnings, environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and value addition were taken into consideration. This year, the “Exporter of the Year” award was won by Omega Line Ltd.

This ceremony, held under the guidance of the Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and the Deputy Minister, Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, was attended by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayanta; Minister of Power, Hon. Kumar Jayakody; Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage; Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources, Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekaran; Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Eng. Eranga Weeraratne; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Hon. Arun Hemachandra; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe; Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the EDB, Mangala Wijesinghe; senior government officials, state officers, exporters, and approximately 1,500 invited guests.

The UCSC Alumni Association successfully hosted the Post-Budget Digital Economy Forum 2026, bringing together leaders from government, industry, and academia to reflect on Sri Lanka’s fast, advancing digital transformation journey. Despite the challenging weather, the strong participation and enthusiasm in the room underscored one truth: Sri Lankans are ready to move forward with purpose, collaboration, and innovation.

The Ministry of Digital Economy appreciates the meaningful contributions made throughout the forum, including XAPI's support as the Digital Governance Sponsor, which enabled deeper conversations on AI, Data, and API governance, PDPA readiness, and the future of secure digital public infrastructure. The insights shared by Hon, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Eranga Weeraratne; Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, Waruna Sri Dhanapala; industry leader Imal Kalutotage, and moderator Anudi Nanayakkara enriched the dialogue. They set a strong foundation for the country’s next steps in digital advancement.

Events like this strengthen the vital bridge between policy, industry, and innovation, driving Sri Lanka’s digital economy to new heights.

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The Road Development Authority, in collaboration with Google and under the guidance of the Ministry of Digital Economy, is currently updating Sri Lanka’s A and B grade road network on Google Maps. With Google granting the Road Development Authority official GMCP (Google Map Content Partner) status, these updates are now being carried out efficiently and accurately.

As the second phase of this initiative, updates to the remaining road networks across the country will also commence soon.

Participating in the conference held today at the University of Vocational Technology under the theme “National Consultation on Proper Regulation of Digital Platforms,” Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Hon. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, called for a regional policy to hold digital platforms accountable at a workshop on digital platform governance in Sri Lanka. The event, organized by Tribhuvan University (Nepal), Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh), and UoVT (Sri Lanka) with UNESCO, aimed to address Internet safety and rights-based governance.

Dr. Kundan Aryal of Tribhuvan University highlighted the importance of promoting freedom of expression while combating disinformation. UNESCO’s Ms. Nirjana Sharma explained the rationale behind the UNESCO guidelines for digital platform governance.

The event featured a full-day discussion with multistakeholder participation.

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