Tech Giants Target Sri Lanka's Digital ID Venture

Published Date : 9/2/2025 

A pre-qualification meeting for Sri Lanka’s Unique Digital ID (SL-UDI) project attracted over 40 major tech companies, including Thales, Idemia, and NEC Corporation, showcasing strong international interest. 

Dozens of major Indian and international tech companies participated in a pre-qualification meeting for Sri Lanka’s Unique Digital ID (SL-UDI) project, which was organized by the National Institute for Smart Government on behalf of the Ministry of Digital Economy. The virtual meeting, held last month, saw the involvement of at least 40 companies, indicating strong interest in the project.

Global identity giants Thales and Idemia Group were among the participants. Japanese multinational NEC Corporation and Slovak Republic-based biometrics developer Innovatrics have also shown an intent to bid on the project. Publicly-traded BLS International Services Ltd, which has supplied technology for electronic visas to 17 countries and provides biometric enrollment services for Nigerians living in the UK, was also present. Nagarro, a global digital engineering company, has indicated interest, as has Mantra, a manufacturer of biometric products for India’s Aadhaar.

Tata Consultancy Services, an international IT company, Wipro India Business, a part of Wipro Limited, a global end-to-end IT transformation, consulting, and business process services provider, and Protean eGov Technologies Limited, which has extensive experience deploying digital public infrastructure (DPI), also attended the meeting. Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), which specializes in information communication technology and electronic surveillance, Electronic Media, which provides analytics and counter-drone technology in addition to digital media, and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), an Indian public sector aerospace and defense electronics company, were present too.

RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, Indian multinational Infosys Limited, Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), under the ownership of the Department of Telecommunications within India’s Ministry of Communications, and RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., an Indian Navaratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) which provides broadband and VPN services, attended the meeting.

During the meeting, officials highlighted that the participating companies clarified their proposed components for the Unique Digital ID project and addressed various questions regarding their proposals. The strong interest from these tech giants underscores the potential and significance of the SL-UDI project in the digital transformation of Sri Lanka. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the Unique Digital ID (SL-UDI) project?

A: The Unique Digital ID (SL-UDI) project is a government initiative in Sri Lanka aimed at creating a comprehensive digital identity system for its citizens. This system aims to enhance security, streamline services, and improve the overall efficiency of government operations.

Q: Which companies showed interest in the SL-UDI project?

A: Several major tech companies, including Thales, Idemia, NEC Corporation, Innovatrics, BLS International Services Ltd, Nagarro, Mantra, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro India Business, Protean eGov Technologies Limited, RTX Corporation, Infosys Limited, Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, and RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, showed interest in the project.

Q: What is the role of the National Institute for Smart Government in the SL-UDI project?

A: The National Institute for Smart Government organized the pre-qualification meeting on behalf of the Ministry of Digital Economy to facilitate the involvement of tech companies in the SL-UDI project. They played a crucial role in ensuring that interested companies could present their proposals and address any questions.

Q: What are the potential benefits of the SL-UDI project?

A: The SL-UDI project is expected to bring several benefits, including enhanced security, improved efficiency in government services, better data management, and a more seamless experience for citizens when interacting with government agencies.

Q: How does the SL-UDI project fit into Sri Lanka's broader digital transformation strategy?

A: The SL-UDI project is a key component of Sri Lanka's broader digital transformation strategy, which aims to modernize the country's infrastructure, improve public services, and foster economic growth through the adoption of advanced technologies and digital solutions. 

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