The discussion has drawn the attention of some big guns on LBO. Here are the base data given me by ICTA that I used for the calculations.
| Table 1: IT/BPO Workforce | Total | BPO | IT | IT Industry | Non-IT Ind/Govt |
| 2010 | 63,000 | 13,000 | 50,000 | 27,000 | 23,000 |
| 2016 | 120,000 | 43,000 | 77,000 | 42,000 | 35,000 |
| Increase | 57,000 | 30,000 | 27,000 | 15,000 | 12,000 |
| Table 2: Average Requirement Per Year | ||
| IT Professional | 5,400 | 4,500 |
| BPO Professional | 6,000 | |
| Financial and Accounting | 3,500 | |
| Legal Services | 1,000 | |
| Other | 1,500 |
This report on data governance in Sri Lanka is part of the “Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia” (D4DAsia) project, which aims, inter alia, to create and mobilize new knowledge about the tensions, gaps, and evolution of the data governance ecosystem, taking into account both formal and informal policies and practices. This report is also part of a broader comparative effort that includes case studies from India, Indonesia, Nepal, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines.
The Indonesia Report launch and policy dialogue on “Indonesia’s Strategy for Safeguarding Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers to the United States Without Compromising Sovereignty or Data Protection” took place on 28 October 2025 at Hotel Ashley, Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta. This timely discussion brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to examine how Indonesia can enable cross-border data flows while maintaining the principles of digital sovereignty and compliance with the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law.
On 15 October 2025, the Asian Development Bank’s Serendipity Knowledge Program (SKOP) hosted a high-level event on Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, and Data Protection for Digital Economy Development in Sri Lanka. Professor Rohan Samarajiva, Chair of LIRNEasia, participated as a panelist in the discussion on the need for a security-first and privacy-respecting culture from schools to workplaces, including government institutions.
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