Senior business leaders, economists and international development experts, alongside Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, will headline the Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit (SLEIS) 2026, organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on October 12 and 13 at Shangri-La Colombo.
The Summit will bring together regional and international expertise to explore how Sri Lanka can strengthen economic resilience, attract investment, expand regional trade connections and unlock new avenues for sustainable growth.
The opening day will feature a keynote address by T. Krishnakumar, Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, who brings more than four decades of experience in the consumer brands and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors. Previously President of Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, Krishnakumar, widely known as Kk, has extensive experience in building businesses and driving growth across emerging markets. He now leads Reliance Consumer Products as it expands across categories and develops new customer, partnership and market opportunities.
Day Two will feature four international perspectives across discussions on economic resilience, regional connectivity, sectoral growth and digital transformation.
Lilia Aleksanyan, Senior Country Economist for Sri Lanka at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will open the day’s discussions with a focus on the country’s economic resilience. Her work covers Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic outlook, policy advice, and macro-fiscal and financial-sector reforms. Her international policy experience also includes roles at the French Ministry of Finance and the French Central Bank.
The Summit will then examine Sri Lanka’s connections with regional markets. P. D. Singh, Chief Executive Officer for India and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, will deliver the keynote address for the session on trade corridors and value chains. Singh has nearly three decades of experience in banking and finance, including senior leadership roles at Standard Chartered, JPMorgan Chase Bank and HSBC.
The Sector Deep Dives will bring international expertise to discussions on healthcare and energy.
Tushar Shroff, Chief Financial Officer of Zydus Lifesciences Ltd, will deliver the keynote for the healthcare discussion. With more than three decades of experience in corporate finance, strategic investment and financial transformation, his career includes senior finance and leadership roles at ABB, Piramal Healthcare, Intas Pharmaceuticals and Vedanta Group. His experience offers a broad perspective on the business and investment decisions shaping the healthcare sector.
For the energy-focused discussion, Edore Onomakpome, Regional Infrastructure Industry Manager for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will share her expertise in infrastructure investment and project finance across emerging markets. Since joining IFC in 2013, she has held senior roles across Africa and South Asia, including responsibility for managing the organisation’s infrastructure portfolio across 16 countries.
The Summit’s keynote programme will conclude with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who will address the session titled ‘Nation Building in the Digital Age’. As the minister overseeing the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, she brings a policy perspective to discussions on digital transformation, innovation, education and the skills required to meet the demands of a changing economy.
Together, these perspectives will contribute regional, international and policy insights as Sri Lanka explores ways to strengthen economic resilience, attract investment, deepen regional connections and develop new sources of growth.
Held under the theme ‘Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy’, SLEIS 2026 will take place on October 12 and 13 at Shangri-La Colombo.
The Summit is supported by a range of corporate sponsors and strategic partners. Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka is the Platinum Sponsor, while VISA Worldwide (Pvt) Ltd is the Gold Sponsor and South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd is the Bronze Sponsor. The Asian Development Bank serves as Strategic Development Partner, Dialog Telecommunication as Telecommunication Partner, and Dialog Television as Television Partner.
Session sponsors include David Pieris Motor Company (Pvt) Ltd, Hemas Holdings PLC, Sunshine Holdings PLC, International Construction Consortium (Pvt) Ltd and Microsoft Sri Lanka (Pvt) Limited. Hayleys Advantis Limited is the Official Logistics Partner, SriLankan Airlines Ltd is the Official Airline, Shangri-La Colombo is the Official Hospitality Partner, and China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd is the Airline Partner.
Sri Lanka and Lithuania Explore Stronger Cooperation in the Digital Economy
Sri Lanka and Lithuania have explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the digital economy, technology transfer and public sector digital transformation during a high-level meeting held on October 5 at the Office of the Deputy Minister in Colombo.
The discussions brought together Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, and H.E. Vidmantas Verbickas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, alongside a senior Lithuanian delegation.
During the meeting, Weeraratne commended Lithuania’s progress in digital transformation and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to achieving a US$5 billion digital economy under its national Digital Economy Blueprint. He highlighted fintech innovation and the development of the startup ecosystem as key drivers of this ambition.
Verbickas welcomed Sri Lanka’s digital development plans and highlighted opportunities for both countries to strengthen their positions as regional gateways through the exchange of policy expertise, technical skills and approaches to simplifying administrative processes through tax frameworks. He also invited the Government of Sri Lanka to participate in the Digital Tech Summit scheduled to take place in Vilnius in 2027, which will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and government technology (GovTech).
The Lithuanian delegation shared insights into the country’s Open Government Data architecture, which supports transparency in the public sector, as well as its startup ecosystem, valued at €16.4 billion. The delegation also outlined Lithuania’s internationally recognised GovTech Lab model, which enables technology companies to develop innovative solutions to public sector challenges while addressing constraints associated with traditional public procurement processes.
In line with Sri Lanka’s priorities to establish an AI Training Centre and upgrade its national Data Centre, both parties agreed to explore technical-level engagements on adapting Lithuania’s GovTech Lab framework to accelerate digital transformation across Sri Lanka’s public sector.
Weeraratne also outlined Sri Lanka’s roadmap to introduce a national Digital ID by 2027, using open-source Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) platforms. In response, the Lithuanian delegation shared lessons from its electronic identification (eID) implementation, particularly in relation to secure data governance and storage.
The discussions further covered the integration of AI into education and the development of telecommunications infrastructure. Weeraratne noted that Sri Lanka had achieved 96% 5G network coverage while continuing efforts to extend high-speed connectivity to rural communities.
The meeting marked a step towards strengthening Sri Lanka–Lithuania collaboration in digital innovation, public sector modernisation and technology-driven economic development, with further technical engagement expected to help identify practical areas for cooperation.
Regional Business Leaders to Headline Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026
