ICTA pays tribute to Professor Lalith Gamage

The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka yesterday announced that Professor Lalith Gamage would step down as Chairman with effect from 5 August. However, he will continue to serve the ICTA Board.

Professor Lalith Gamage has been instrumental in setting the foundational strategy for ICTA towards a path of driving digital transformation, and it is evident that ICTA has evolved as an organisation under his leadership. 

During his tenure, many projects have focused on building a digital economy, digital government, and citizen centric services.  Projects such as ‘Stay Safe’  to contain the spread of COVID-19 Pandemic, COVID-19 Vaccination Registration Portal for Citizens, Employee Trust Fund Management (ETF) System to increase the efficiency of services delivered, National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Platform  for Government and private sector organisations to exchange spatial data were implemented under his guidance.

An alternative Credit Evaluation Framework to help Tech Companies expand their businesses, eliminating impediments faced by start-ups and taking remedial action to overcome obstacles, drafting of the Data Protection Bill, adopting Digital Technology in Education through the ‘eThaksalava’ program, adopting digital technology in the agriculture sector through  ‘AgTech Showcase’  are few of  the many initiatives introduced under Professor Gamage’s leadership.

The Sri Lanka Unique Digital ID Program is yet another priority project initiated under his leadership, which focuses on digitalising the individual identity of every citizen and is due to bear fruition in the near future.

Professor Lalith Gamage is one of the most eminent personalities in the technology sector. He is a recipient of the Most Outstanding ICT Contributor of the Year award in 2020 awarded by NBQSA, and the recipient of The Outstanding Young Person of the year (TOYP) award for Academic Leadership in 2000.

He has contributed to promoting the IT industry and served the Government of Sri Lanka as the Chairman of Lanka Software Foundation (LSF), Chairman of Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT), Chairman of the ICT Cluster and the Executive Director of Trade Information Network of Sri Lanka Export Development Board. 

Prof. Gamage also took the lead in establishing Sri Lanka’s first technology incubator, Concept nursery, which has produced many successful technology companies.  He has served as an Advisory Board Member of Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) and is the founding President of Sri Lanka Association of Non-State Higher Education Institutes (SLANSHEI).

He is an Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering graduate from the University of Moratuwa and holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada. His research areas include computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotics, and evolutionary computing.

Commenting, Professor Gamage said: “I am proud to have provided leadership to ICTA during a very crucial phase of the organisation. I would like to thank many colleagues who have been a part of this transformative journey. I would also like to welcome Oshada Senanayake on his new appointment as Chairman, and wish ICTA every success in the future.”

ICTA CEO Mahinda Herath stated: “On behalf of ICTA, I would like to thank Professor Gamage for his immense contribution to the organisation. We are truly grateful for his visionary leadership and for setting the foundational strategy to drive digital transformation in the nation.”