COLOMBO – India’s leading IT industry association, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), launched its flagship DISHA Tech SME Mentorship Program in Sri Lanka, marking the initiative’s first expansion outside India.
The program was inaugurated on Thursday (16) at an event organized by the Indian High Commission in Colombo following a two-day visit by a high-level delegation of Indian technology executives led by NASSCOM President Rajesh Nambiar.
Designed by the NASSCOM SME Council, the DISHA program provides structured mentorship to technology entrepreneurs through strategic business guidance, organizational development and growth planning aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized technology enterprises.
Speaking at the launch, Nambiar highlighted the growing India-Sri Lanka technology partnership and the opportunities emerging in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha commended Sri Lanka’s technology industry for its commitment to strengthening bilateral collaboration, while Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the Sri Lankan government’s support for partnerships that promote digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
Maulik Bhansali, Chair of the NASSCOM SME Council, outlined the program’s objectives and shared its impact in supporting the growth of technology SMEs in India.
The event was attended by Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Chief Adviser to the President on Digital Economy Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Shri Dhanapala, senior government officials, business leaders, representatives of technology networks and think tanks, and members of the media.
The launch was followed by a panel discussion on technology, partnerships and artificial intelligence, featuring leading technology entrepreneurs and executives from Sri Lanka and India.
The panel included WSO2 founder Dr Sanjiva Weerawarana, Hatch Co-founder and Managing Director Jeevan Gnanam, InfoBeans Technologies Co-founder Avinash Sethi, Metacube Software Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Parijat Agarwal, Integra Software Services Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sriram Subramanya, and was moderated by PickMe founder Jiffry Zulfer.
As part of the inaugural program, 48 Sri Lankan technology SMEs were selected for the first cohort of the DISHA mentorship initiative and participated in one-on-one mentoring sessions conducted by NASSCOM experts.
A statement from the Indian High Commission in Colombo said the event underscored the growing cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the technology and innovation sectors, with both sides highlighting opportunities to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
-ENCL/Pix Indian HC






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