AI and Data Analytics Summit 2025 ignites SL’s digital future

The AI and Data Analytics Summit 2025, held at Hotel Taj Samudra, Colombo, stood out as a landmark event in Sri Lanka’s technological journey. 

Organised by BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT, this high-impact forum brought together national policymakers, global experts, and local innovators to explore the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics in shaping the country’s digital and economic future.

The summit was graced by Pradeepa Haputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Waruna Sri Adanapala, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy, underscoring the government’s commitment to AI adoption and data-driven policy making.

Led by Vajeendra .S Kandegamage, the summit was steered with vision and purpose. This year’s edition was curated by Rajeewa George, an industry expert with support from the BCS Executive Committee, ensuring both strategic depth and technical insight.

 The summit was structured into two focused tracks: Strategic and Technology.

The Strategic Track addressed AI policies, ethical frameworks, public sector transformation, and sustainability.  The Technology Track explored deep tech domains such as machine learning, natural language processing, predictive analytics, cloud AI, and real-time data integration.

Adding global perspective to the event were two distinguished experts from the United Kingdom, who offered thought-provoking insights on sustainable AI and data governance, alongside a veteran from Taiwan, who shared real-world experiences in scaling data analytics for smart manufacturing and urban development.

One of the most inspiring segments of the summit was the MindSpark Hackfest, a parallel innovation competition powered by Velou USA and supported by VISA as the strategic partner. The Hackfest was led by Prof. Anuradha Jayakody and Isuru Sirinimal, and showcased the talent of young innovators from universities and startups. Participants developed AI-driven solutions tackling real societal challenges, reaffirming the potential of Sri Lanka’s next generation to lead in AI innovation.

Throughout the sessions, the emphasis was clear: data is the new economic engine, and AI is the key to unlocking its full value. The summit encouraged collaboration between government, academia, and industry to build a resilient and inclusive AI ecosystem in Sri Lanka.

This year’s summit did more than host conversations. It ignited action. From new public-private partnerships to startup incubation pathways, several initiatives were launched to continue momentum beyond the event.