India-Sri Lanka hold consultations on cyber-security
Daily FT: As part of the overall bilateral partnership on digitalisation and engagements on emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, a delegation comprising CERT-India Director General Dr. Sanjay Bahl and India External Affairs Ministry Joint Secretary (Cyber Diplomacy) Amit Shukla recently visited Colombo for first cyber consultations.
During the visit, the delegation called on Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne, and discussed cyber security governance frameworks, emerging challenges posed by AI for cyber security, need to exchange threat assessments and best practices deployed by CERT-India, including in capacity building, incident response etc.
The delegation also called on Labour Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando and discussed cybersecurity collaboration in context of a shared goal of a secure financial system and digital economy.
Detailed discussions were held with Sri Lanka CERT Chairman Thilak Pathirage and CEO Dr. Kanishka Karunasena on potential areas of collaboration in the field of knowledge exchange, capacity building, cyber crisis management and development of various national level strategies on quantum computing and AI.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s expanding digital economy is creating business/investment opportunities for foreign businesses/investors across information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, financial technology and digital infrastructure as the country strengthens its technology capabilities. The recent visit to Colombo by an Indian delegation led by CERT-India Director General Dr. Bahl for the first bilateral cyber consultations highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity cooperation. Discussions with Sri Lankan officials covered cybersecurity governance, AI-related threats, threat intelligence, incident response and capacity building. These developments present opportunities for foreign companies offering cybersecurity solutions, digital risk management, threat monitoring and security services for financial institutions, government agencies and private enterprises. Demand could also increase for cloud security, data protection, digital identity verification and secure payment technologies as businesses expand their digital operations. Beyond cybersecurity, potential investment areas include software development, AI applications, business process management, cloud computing, data centres, fintech and enterprise automation. Foreign technology companies could establish local operations, outsource development to Sri Lankan firms or collaborate with domestic businesses to develop products for international markets. Sri Lanka’s technology workforce and established IT services sector provide a foundation for further expansion. Collaboration with local universities and training institutions could also help develop specialised skills in emerging technologies. Cybersecurity is particularly important as digital payments, online public services and technology-driven financial operations become more widespread. International expertise could help strengthen digital resilience while opening commercial opportunities for specialised service providers. For foreign investors, Sri Lanka offers potential both as a growing domestic market and as a base for exporting digital services.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20261020Z_4 |