By Arundhati Bhattacharya, President & CEO, Salesforce South Asia

On International Youth Day 2026, my thoughts turn to Sri Lanka's young people and to what it genuinely means to invest in them.

Across South Asia, I've seen first-hand how young people are redefining what's possible. They are building businesses on digital platforms, solving community challenges with ingenuity, and walking into workplaces with fresh energy and a refusal to accept the status quo. That spirit is alive and well in Sri Lanka, and it gives me real optimism about what lies ahead.

The AI era amplifies this potential in ways we are only beginning to understand. But what continues to inspire me most is something the technology itself cannot replicate the profound intent and purpose that young people bring to the problems they choose to solve. AI's greatest value lies in its ability to amplify human impact. And for that to hold true, it must be human-centred, trusted and inclusive.

Access to technology is just the starting point. True empowerment means confidence — the agency to shape how technology is used, not just consume it. That requires collaboration: between government, educators, industry and communities, all working together to expand digital skills, deepen responsible AI knowledge, and create real pathways for participation.

At Salesforce, we believe technology creates value when it helps people succeed. The measure of the AI era should not only be what our systems can do, but the opportunities they unlock for people to learn, contribute and lead.

Sri Lanka's young people carry a shared aspiration to build something better. By investing in their ideas, their access and their trust — by building with them, not merely for them — that aspiration becomes progress. And I, for one, cannot wait to see what they build.