Sri Lanka digital ID rollout advances as procurement nears completion

Sri Lanka’s digital identity (SL-UDI) program is moving toward a phased rollout as the Indian government finalizes procurement of the master systems provider responsible for implementing the platform.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha said onboarding of the master systems provider is in its final stages, while Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne told Biometric Update on Monday the government is preparing an initial rollout focused on core infrastructure and early digital ID issuance.

The Deputy Minister said the government expects to issue the first digital IDs in the coming months with a fully digital identity system targeted by next August. Approximately 17 million National Identity Card (NIC) holders will also be transitioned to the new system over the following two years.

TCS, Infosys, and Protean remain under final evaluation for the MOSIP-based national digital ID system, after bids exceeded the value of India’s grant funding of INR 3 billion (approximately US$35 million).

Speaking at the “India Calling” business event, Jha said Sri Lanka’s digital ID project was nearing launch, highlighting the potential for deeper economic integration and technology cooperation between the two countries. He underscored the success of India’s digital identity system in lowering poverty and boosting social safety nets, signifying that similar results could be achieved in Sri Lanka.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  India  |  procurement  |  SL-UDI (Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity)  |  Sri Lanka