National IT Conference (NITC) 2025 will be held from October 14–16, 2025

The National Information Technology Conference (NITC) 2025, organized by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL), stands this year as far more than just a gathering of ICT professionals. It has become a moment of national significance, bringing together industry leaders, academics, policymakers, and international experts to accelerate Sri Lanka’s journey toward a sustainable digital economy. With the Government of Sri Lanka launching the ambitious 100-Day Digital Program as a key policy initiative, NITC 2025 serves as the platform where ideas are translated into action, where strategies are shaped, and where a collective national vision for digital transformation is refined.ෙ

The Government has made digital transformation a central pillar of its development agenda. The 100-Day Digital Program, introduced earlier this year, is perhaps the boldest step yet in signaling the country’s intention to leverage technology to achieve an inclusive and resilient economy. From building e-government services to digitising education, empowering SMEs, fostering e-commerce, and strengthening infrastructure, the program sets out immediate steps that will lay the foundation for long-term growth. Against this backdrop, NITC 2025 does not stand apart from the Government’s roadmap but is directly aligned to it. The conference’s themes, sessions, and outcomes are designed to complement national policy and provide practical strategies that accelerate implementation.

His Excellency President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted the 100-Day Digital Program is only the beginning of our long-term journey to create a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030. NITC 2025 provides the right platform for the nation’s brightest minds, industry leaders, and policymakers to come together to define the pathways that will turn this vision a reality. I commend the CSSL for its contribution in ensuring that the ICT profession continues to serve as a strong pillar in our national development agenda.

Echoing this commitment, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne pointed to the practical role of the conference. “Our focus over the next 100 days is to lay the foundations of a digital economy that benefits every citizen—whether in cities or villages, whether running a startup or a traditional business. NITC 2025 is critical because it is the one forum where professionals, businesses, educators, and policymakers converge. The recommendations and insights that emerge from this conference will directly feed into our government’s implementation strategies. Together, we will ensure Sri Lanka does not just consume digital technology but produces, innovates, and exports it to the world.” His words highlight that NITC is not a symbolic gathering but a working forum that informs and strengthens government action.

For the CSSL, which serves as the country’s professional body for ICT practitioners, NITC 2025 also marks the beginning of a new era. Under the leadership of its President, Heshan Karunaratne, the Society has positioned itself firmly around the vision of Society 5.0, a model of development that places human needs at the center of technological progress. Originally conceptualized in Japan and now gaining global traction, Society 5.0 envisions a future where technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and big data are harnessed not just for efficiency or profit but to tackle social challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. Karunaratne emphasized this in his address, saying, “Sri Lanka’s digital journey must be about more than just adopting the latest technologies. It must be about embedding these technologies into the very fabric of our society in ways that improve quality of life, reduce inequality, and enhance opportunities for all. Society 5.0 gives us a framework to do this. As CSSL, we are committed to equipping ICT professionals with the skills, ethics, and leadership required to turn this vision into reality. NITC 2025 is where we start translating that vision into action.”

This reorientation toward Society 5.0 is a decisive shift for Sri Lanka. It moves the narrative away from simple technology adoption toward a model of digital transformation that is inclusive, ethical, and people-centered. It also reflects the growing maturity of the nation’s ICT community, which now sees itself not only as technologists but as custodians of social impact.

NITC itself has a distinguished history. As one of the longest-running ICT conferences in Asia, spanning more than four decades, it has grown from a modest professional symposium to a national platform of dialogue and influence. This year, under the stewardship of Conference Chair Dr. Amal Illesinghe, the event has been carefully designed to move beyond discussion into solutions. “NITC 2025 is different because it is not just about discussing trends. It is about producing solutions and partnerships that align with the government’s 100-Day Digital Program. We have curated sessions that cover digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI adoption, e-governance, and digital education, while also exploring future trends such as quantum computing and green IT. The purpose is clear: every discussion must link back to Sri Lanka’s digital economic goals,” Illesinghe explained. This approach transforms NITC from a knowledge-sharing forum into a national strategy platform.

The role of CSSL in this transformation is multifaceted. Beyond organizing NITC, the Society has a statutory mandate to strengthen Sri Lanka’s ICT human capital. Its initiatives linked to the conference and beyond aim to enhance professional development through certification and standards, provide evidence-based policy recommendations to the government, foster research and innovation by linking academia with industry, champion ethical ICT practices especially in an age of AI, and reduce digital divides by supporting education and rural inclusion programs. These commitments directly contribute to building the strong, skilled, and ethical workforce required to achieve the USD 15 billion digital economy target by 2030.

Another hallmark of NITC 2025 is its strong international and regional dimension. With keynote speakers and participants from Asia, Europe, and North America, the conference ensures Sri Lanka has access to global best practices and insights. This exchange is vital at a time when countries across the globe are experimenting with new models of digital adoption and governance. Furthermore, NITC has been positioned as a hub for South Asian collaboration, recognizing that nations in the region share common challenges in areas such as digital literacy, infrastructure development, and cybersecurity. By creating regional alliances, Sri Lanka not only strengthens its domestic digital agenda but also asserts itself as a thought leader within its neighborhood.

While the 100-Day Digital Program sets immediate priorities, the horizon is set firmly on the long-term ambition of a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030. The outputs of NITC 2025 from policy papers to industry commitments will help define the road to that target. The key lies in scaling up digital exports, fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship, embedding technology across public services like healthcare and agriculture, and ensuring that education systems are future-ready. By placing Society 5.0 at the heart of this effort, CSSL ensures that the transformation does not create new divides but rather uplifts all segments of society.

Ultimately, NITC 2025 is more than a professional event. It is an enabler of Sri Lanka’s national digital vision. With clear alignment to the government’s 100-Day Digital Program, the endorsement of His Excellency President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leadership of Deputy Minister Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, the vision of CSSL President Heshan Karunaratne, and the stewardship of Conference Chair Dr. Amal Illesinghe, the conference is poised to deliver real outcomes. As Karunaratne summed up, “The digital economy is not something we can postpone. It is the foundation of our competitiveness, our innovation, and our ability to provide opportunities for future generations. NITC 2025 is where we, as a nation, come together to ensure that foundation is strong.”

As Sri Lanka stands at a decisive moment in its development journey, NITC 2025 represents the bridge between vision and implementation, between national ambition and practical action, and between today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. It is, without question, a conference of national importance, and its outcomes will reverberate far beyond the halls of discussion, shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s digital economy and its role in the global digital landscape