SLASSCOM launches first-ever strategic review for IT/BPM industry

Friday, 25 July 2014 00:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SLASSCOM, the IT and knowledge services industry trade chamber in Sri Lanka, launched its first-ever IT/BPM industry review at a simple ceremony held under the patronage of Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera recently. Welcoming the audience, SLASSCOM Chairman Jayantha De Silva said that the industry with strong support of the Government has shown tremendous growth in the last few years from negligible export revenue just a few years back to the billion dollar industry it is today. Speaking at the event SLASSCOM Chairman Emeritus Madu Ratnayake presented the key highlights of the report. He highlighted that global IT/BPM reached $ 1.2 trillion in 2013, and the world is now poised for the next wave of growth.

He added that the Sri Lankan IT/BPM industry made significant progress over the last five years. Export revenue grew 238% from $ 213 million in 2007 to an estimated $ 720 million in 2013. Total employment grew 123% from 33,700 in 2007 to an estimated 75,100 in 2013. The number of companies in the industry also grew from 171 in 2007 to over 225 in 2013. Sri Lanka’s global brand position also improved significantly. AT Kearney ranked Sri Lanka among the top 25 destinations in its global ranking in the last three consecutive rankings. Gartner ranked Sri Lanka among its top 30 global locations. The recent ‘Outs-ourcing Destination of the Year’ award in UK by the National Outsourcing Asso-ciation (NOA) was a true validation of the industry’s tremendous progress. Dr. P.B. Jayasundera commended SLASS-COM for releasing the first-ever industry review. He remarked that publications of this nature would tremendously assist policymakers in their jobs. He recalled the many discussions he had over the years with representatives of SLASSCOM on how to grow the industry and said that unlike other industries, the discussions were centred not on handouts but constructive growth initiatives. He also acknowledged the growing influence of this billion dollar industry in the hierarchy of economic and budgetary decision making within the Government and pledged to give serious consideration to the proposals submitted by SLASSCOM for Budget 2015. In lighter vein, he urged the industry to achieve its Vision 2022 in year 2020, in line with the Government’s Vision 2020 project and pledged the full support of policymakers to make SLASSCOM’s vision for the industry a reality. The full report is available for free download on the reports section of the home page on www.slasscom.lk.