Sriganesh was previously the Data Innovation and Policy Lead at Pulse Lab Jakarta, a joint facility of the United Nations and the Government of Indonesia. Prior to that, Sriganesh co-established and led LIRNEasia‘s multidisciplinary research practice on Big Data for Development. His work involved the conceptualization and implementation of big data analyses to support global development. He researched and engaged in the public discourse on responsibly mainstreaming the use of big data and AI for public purposes, and their implications on society (including data protection, ethics, and competition policy). His work has been used by the Government of Sri Lanka in the planning and implementation phases of the Western Region Megapolis Plan. He has advised, mentored, and been part of committees in a range of government departments, UN agencies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives including Citra Social Innovation Lab, DataSEARCH, Department of Census and Statistics, the Analytics Unit of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, and Pulse Lab Jakarta.
Earlier, he led LIRNEasia’s research on the role of ICTs in rural development, and also ran a sustainable not-for-profit market price information service. He has also researched ICT sector policy and regulatory environments as well as being involved in the development of related policies in a variety of South Asian countries. He had previously worked as a consultant and as a software architect in technology companies in Sri Lanka and the US.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore.