Sri Lanka targets year-end digital ID pilot as funding talks with India continue

Sri Lanka plans to launch an in-house pilot of its Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) system by the end of the year, even as negotiations continue over a funding gap for the full national digital ID system.

Bids from shortlisted Indian companies for the Master Systems Integrator role exceeded the INR 3 billion grant provided by India, delaying procurement of the full MOSIP-based platform. Sri Lanka is now pursuing a phased approach while seeking additional funding from New Delhi.

A Ministry of Digital Economy official told Biometric Update that an in-house Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is expected by the end of 2026, initially targeting government employees. The phased approach allows work on the project to continue while procurement of the full system remains unresolved.

The official said the existing INR 3 billion would be sufficient for the initial phase, with roughly another INR 3 billion expected to be required for the next stage.

The government ultimately plans to transition roughly 17 million National Identity Card holders to the new system.

The SL-UDI is being built on the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), with the Department for Registration of Persons expected to own and oversee the system and local entities taking responsibility for its operation. The model is intended to keep control of identity data and infrastructure within Sri Lanka while using Indian funding and technical expertise for implementation.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  India  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  SL-UDI (Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity)  |  Sri Lanka