Sri Lanka and Gates Foundation hold talks on AI and digital transformation

A bilateral discussion was held in Singapore alongside the “Asia Tech 2026” conference, focusing on accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital transformation in partnership with the Gates Foundation.

The Sri Lankan delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, participated in talks aimed at strengthening cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), digital governance and data-driven development initiatives.

During the meeting, both sides discussed technical and advisory support for Sri Lanka’s national AI strategy and the “AI for Public Good” programme. It was agreed that Sri Lanka’s draft AI policy framework would be reviewed by the Gates Foundation, while further technical dialogue would be initiated to enhance digital government infrastructure.

The discussions also covered the next phase of the “Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT 2)” project, with an emphasis on improving farmer productivity, expanding market access, increasing climate resilience, and introducing AI-based advisory services.

Cooperation with digital public goods initiatives, including AI Singapore and EkStep Foundation, was also explored during the talks.

In addition, the Chief Executive Officer of GovTech Sri Lanka was invited for a knowledge-sharing visit to Bangalore to study global developments in digital identity systems.

Representatives from the Gates Foundation, including Hari Menon, also took part in the discussions.