## Sri Lanka’s New Economic Path: Beyond Nostalgia 📈

HNB CEO Damith Pallewatte outlines a strategic shift for Sri Lanka in 2026, moving from "volume to value" to thrive in a multipolar global economy. • Core Strategy The focus shifts from mass arrivals and bulk exports to high-value niches. Key priorities include geographic branding, value addition, and leveraging strategic shipping lanes to mitigate global tariff and energy risks. • Sector Breakdowns Agriculture: Transitioning from traditional toil to tech-driven ecosystems. Modernization (drones, IoT, AI) has reduced 4-day tasks to 90 minutes. HNB’s 'Sarusara' initiative aims to develop 30,000 agripreneurs. Tourism: Moving away from mass market targets toward high-yield wellness, eco-tourism, and adventure niches. Banking & ICT: HNB is launching a 2026–2030 plan integrating AI and Machine Learning for credit security while pursuing international expansion to diversify revenue. • Regional & Youth Focus Economic decentralization is vital. High potential is noted in Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and the Northern/Eastern provinces. The goal is to retain digitally fluent youth by connecting local skills to global value chains. • Outlook Sri Lanka must move beyond a "model of departure" to one of "staying and building," supported by strategic foreign investment and technology transfer.