Sri Lanka’s Startup Festival ‘Disrupt Asia 2025’ Builds Strong Bridges with India
Disrupt Asia 2025, Sri Lanka’s premier startup conference and innovation festival, is set to take place from 17-20 September in Colombo, positioning the island nation as South Asia’s next innovation hub. India is expected to play a central role in shaping this year’s edition. For India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, the event presents a unique gateway into Sri Lanka and wider South Asian markets. It offers access to a pipeline of investor-ready startups, opportunities for cross-border technology transfer and product adaptation, and a platform to establish new partnerships in sectors such as education, AI, fintech, and sustainability.
Organized by the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), in collaboration with global and regional partners, the event will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and changemakers from across the region.
Building on its successful previous editions held between 2016-2019, Disrupt Asia 2025 aims to accelerate digital transformation and cross-border collaboration through curated sessions, public showcases, and networking forums. The four-day event will also introduce landmark initiatives such as a USD 50 million Fund of Funds to support mission-driven startups, a Virtual Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to attract global tech firms, and new policy frameworks enabling greater private sector participation.
H.E. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, remarked, “I am delighted by the strengthening of the innovation and technology partnership between India and Sri Lanka. This has received support from leadership of both countries which can be witnessed in the growing synergies between our two countries. We are also extending support to Sri Lankan talent to benefit from the vibrant tech ecosystem in India. I wish Disrupt Asia success in building greater linkages between India and Sri Lanka in the technology and innovation domain.”
Earlier this year in India, Disrupt Asia collaborated with Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi, hosting a dedicated Sri Lankan pavilion with ten high-potential startups across MedTech, FinTech, EdTech, AI, and Blockchain. These innovators showcased their technologies to Indian investors and ecosystem leaders, while also engaging with the Indian High Commission to explore opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration. A landmark MoU between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Digital Economy and India’s Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) was signed during the event, strengthening innovation diplomacy and laying the foundation for joint policy frameworks, cross-border investment, and technology exchange.
With Sri Lanka’s rapidly emerging innovation landscape, Disrupt Asia provides Indian startups and funds the chance to expand into new distribution channels, deepen regional presence, and build policy-led collaborations.
This year’s edition will also feature prominent voices from India’s startup ecosystem. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO of Paytm, will deliver the keynote address, reflecting on India’s digital revolution, exploring Sri Lanka’s path to becoming the ‘Innovation Hub of South Asia.’ Rajan Anandan, Managing Director at Peak XV Partners and Surge, joins a panel discussion on South Asia’s investment landscape, offering insights into what makes regional markets attractive for investors. Additionally, Kiran Chandra Kalluri, Partner at Dallas Venture Capital (DVC), and Vineet Rai, Co-Founder of Intellecap, will also be part of the event, together with international participants such as Prashant Gulati (TiE Dubai), Nathan Griffith (The Accountant Group, Australia), James Tan (Quest Ventures, Singapore), and Carl R. Härtlein (Saint Clair Advisory & Capital, United Kingdom).
These diverse contributions illustrate the truly international scope of Disrupt Asia 2025, highlighting its role as a platform for cross-border collaboration and shared learning. The conference will also spotlight 50 of Sri Lanka’s most promising startups, including Utech Technologies (Pvt)Ltd, Permia Sensing Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, SimpleBook (Pvt) Ltd, Nanosoft Global (Pvt) Ltd, MAGICBITS (Pvt)Ltd, PayMedia (Pvt) Ltd , Aahayani, Blue Lotus 360, Agent Zappy, Emojot and many more, representing sectors from health tech and fintech to AI-driven enterprise solutions and sustainability-led innovations.
Disrupt Asia 2025 is more than just a startup platform - it is a regional movement to reinvent South Asia’s innovation story. For India, it opens access to new markets, investible opportunities, and a chance to shape the regional narrative, while for Sri Lanka, it promises foreign direct investment, stronger technology partnerships, and recognition as a credible innovation hub. Built on the five pillars of partnerships, pathways, people, policies, and prosperity, the event fosters sustainable, inclusive growth while embracing frontier technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT. Over four days, Colombo will transform into a vibrant hub of ideas and collaborations that redefine the future of entrepreneurship and technology in South Asia. To sum it all, if you are passionate about innovation and the startup ecosystem, Disrupt Asia is the perfect place to gain valuable experience and build meaningful networks to support your future growth and innovation journey. Tickets are now open!
(Inputs from Press Release)
