Sri Lanka made a powerful pitch to Japanese investors to join hands in establishing South Asia’s first Neutral AI Data Centre — a pioneering initiative designed to serve the region’s growing digital economies.
Speaking at a high-level Business and Investment Promotion Forum in Tokyo, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Presidential Adviser on the Digital Economy, extended an open invitation to Japan’s technology and investment community to become founding partners in this transformative venture.
The proposed Neutral AI Data Centre will operate as a virtual Special Economic Zone (v-SEZ) — ensuring data sovereignty, cross-border trust, and secure AI-driven collaboration among South Asian nations. Investors will benefit from exclusive incentives, including energy-use concessions, digital-infrastructure tax advantages, and regional access to one of Asia’s fastest-growing AI ecosystems.
As part of the government’s strategy to expand Sri Lanka’s digital economy fivefold — from USD 3 billion to USD 15 billion by 2030, this initiative positions the country as a regional digital hub where innovation, policy, and investment converge.
