Sri Lanka: ‘DPI is not just a buzzword’

A robust digital public infrastructure (DPI) framework is central to Sri Lanka’s ongoing digital transformation, while the country’s digital ID system will be a vital tool for streamlining public services and bridging the gap between the government and private sector systems, the government said during the recently concluded Sri Lanka DPI Summit 2025 in Colombo.

“The digital infrastructure we are building now is the foundation for every future digital modernization effort in Sri Lanka,” says Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne. “Through these initiatives, the government envisions the country’s digital economy reaching an ambitious target of US $15 billion by 2030,”

The Summit, which concluded on Thursday, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Digital Economy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other collaborators.

“DPI is not just a buzzword – we recognize its value and that it will serve as the backbone for any digital transformation efforts we embark on,” Weeraratne says. “Our vision for a digital Sri Lanka is nothing, if not ambitious. The Government envisions Sri Lanka’s digital economy reaching US$15 billion by 2030.”

Aside from discussions on Sri Lanka’s DPI, the event also saw the launch of a new civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system, collecting data on births and deaths as well as public health information.

The updated civil registry will not only help the government make more informed decisions and deliver services to citizens, but it will also play a critical role in making public services efficient and accessible to citizens, says Weeraratne. The update was supported by the UNPD and the Asian Development Bank.

Sri Lanka is also a 50-in-5 first mover country. Its National Fuel Pass system, which began in July 2022, has been one example of the county’s DPI efforts generating impact.

The summit was co-organized by Citra Lab, the South Asian country’s first social innovation lab, co-founded by the Prime Minister’s Office and UNPD. The Deputy Minister stressed that achieving digital transformation will require a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Aadhaar founder discusses Sri Lanka’s digital ID

Sri Lanka has been making significant moves in the digital public infrastructure space in the past month, including the Friday launch of the GovPay platform, aimed at modernizing government revenue collection. The country is also making headway in its digital ID plans.

India is helping Sri Lanka technically and financially implement the national ID project modeled after its biometric-based identity system Aadhaar. Non-profit Indian platform provider MOSIP has been working with the government on the digital ID program since 2020.

Sri Lanka is already taking steps towards implementing digital identity solutions, with open-source versions of Aadhaar being explored, Srikanth Nadhamuni, founding head of technology and an architect of Aadhaar, said at the Sri Lanka Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit.

Providing a unique digital ID at birth, linked to a parent until biometrics can be collected is a critical step in ensuring universal digital inclusion. But the Sri Lankan government will also have to pay attention to ensuring that its DPI serves all citizens, not just those with smartphones and internet access, Nadhamuni added, according to Ceylon Today.

In January, the Sri Lankan government promised to start rolling out the new electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) within weeks. The system will include collecting biometric data such as facial, iris and fingerprint data. The second phase of the digital ID includes the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identification (SL-UDI) which is the core platform. The Sri Lankan government has procured 350 units of biometric hardware for the launch of the project.

India’s assistance, however, has also drawn suspicion with critics calling attention to safeguarding critical infrastructure and preventing potential Indian access to the personal data of Sri Lankans.

Why using Indian solutions can boost DPI?

And while some experts are viewing India’s efforts to spread its digital public infrastructure (DPI) tools across its borders with some suspicions, others highlight that DPI is a crucial investment that low and middle-income countries (LMICs) should not avoid.

Low and middle-income countries hesitate to invest in DPI due to high costs and weak political will. The benefits, however, outweigh the expenses, Arshi Aadil Master of Public Administration (MC/MPA) candidate at Harvard Kennedy School in an article published by the HKS Student Policy Review.

“Investing in digital public infrastructure is essential for LMICs. The benefits of such investments – ranging from economic growth and improved governance to enhanced public services – far outweigh the costs,” says Aadil.

Identity systems are the key pillars of DPI because they allow businesses and individuals to verify their identities, make money transfers easy and enable seamless data flow across the government and private sector.

Low and middle-income countries can build their DPIs using open solutions such as India’s MOSIP and Mojaloop, an open-source software project backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that has been adopted by countries like Tanzania.

“Much of what is required to build core DPIs is available as a set of open-source assets or digital public goods (DPGs),” says Aadil.

Article Topics

civil registration  |  CRVS  |  digital economy  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure  |  India  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  SDG 16.9  |  SL-UDI  |  Sri Lanka