Sri Lanka’s industry titans profess a pragmatic Artificial Intelligence path

A high-powered panel at the National AI Expo and Conference 2025 revealed that for Sri Lanka's leading conglomerates and tech firms, the era of theoretical AI is over. The focus is now squarely on practical implementation, measurable ROI, and overcoming foundational challenges in data, infrastructure, and skills to unlock the next wave of economic growth.

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

Sri Lanka hosted its first-ever National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Expo and Conference on September 29-30.

The air at the National AI Expo and Conference 2025 in Colombo was thick with discussions of large language models, neural networks, and sentient machines. Yet, in a packed auditorium, a panel of the nation's most influential technology leaders brought the conversation firmly back to earth.

Moderated by Arun Pai, Senior Principal at Analysys Mason, the session on "SectorSpecific AI Applications" moved beyond the hype to dissect the real-world adoption of Artificial Intelligence across Sri Lanka's core economic sectors: telecommunications, finance, retail, and manufacturing.

The panel featured a formidable lineup: Dr. Ramesh Shanmuganathan, Group CIO of John Keells Holdings; Asanga Ranasinghe, CTIO of Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka; Dr. Harsha Subasinghe, the founder and CEO of CodeGen; and Dr. Raja Mansukhani, Chief Strategy, Technology and Transformation Officer at Kambiva Technology. Their message was that AI is not a magic bullet, but a powerful tool that requires strategy, robust data foundations, and a fundamental shift in corporate mindset to deliver tangible value.

For a conglomerate as vast and varied as John Keells Holdings, with interests spanning from supermarkets to banking, the temptation to sprinkle AI across every business unit could be overwhelming. However, Dr. Shanmuganathan outlined a far more disciplined approach, rooted in years of experimentation dating back to 2014.