KATHMANDU: Nepal and Sri Lanka have officially launched the Nepal–Sri Lanka ICT Alliance 2025, a strategic initiative to promote regional cooperation in digital technology and innovation. The alliance aims to strengthen bilateral ties while positioning both countries as emerging digital hubs in South Asia.

The initiative was conceptualized by Chiranjibi Adhikari, Senior Vice President of the CAN Federation, Nepal’s leading ICT organization, and formally presented to Chameera Munasinghe, Charge d’Affaires at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu. The event also saw the participation of academic expert Omkar Basnet, reflecting educational backing for the partnership.

The alliance is built on nine strategic pillars focused on mutual growth in key areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, health tech, cybersecurity, and digital talent development. A joint business council will be formed with Sri Lanka’s SLASSCOM and ICTA to facilitate business matchmaking and policy coordination.

Notably, the alliance includes joint startup incubation and co-investment initiatives, encouraging Sri Lankan venture capital to support Nepali startups. It also provides for the mutual recognition of IT training and certifications to enhance cross-border employment and skill mobility.

Additional areas of cooperation include outsourcing, structured talent exchange, cybersecurity capacity building through npCert and Sri Lanka’s CERT, and the organization of joint ICT expos and policy dialogues.

Plans are also underway to establish a joint ICT Innovation Fund to support collaborative research and product development. Universities from both countries will enter into MoUs to promote faculty and student exchanges and joint research in emerging technologies like blockchain, AI, and data analytics.

The long-term vision is to develop a Nepal–Sri Lanka Digital Corridor, which would interconnect digital infrastructure, cloud services, and platforms across both countries