His Excellency the High Commissioner of India, Chairman of the BOI, Honorable Executives of HCL Technologies, and all those who are virtually joining us today.

It gives me great pleasure to join you on the occasion of HCL Technologies inaugurating its first Global Delivery Center in Sri Lanka. As a nation, we are not only honored to
welcome a multinational technology giant such as HCL, but we are also thankful for the opportunities that this center will offer our youth.

As you know, the new Government has prioritized the ICT sector and establishing a knowledge and technology based society to make Sri Lanka a global innovation hub. In
addition to implementing a comprehensive digitization policy for the country, the Government is also working on a number of other related programs, including setting up a Citizen
Centric Digital Government, establishing a digitally-inclusive Sri Lanka and promoting IT entrepreneurship.

In this backdrop, today's event is of great significance. The presence of a global ICT leader such as HCL Technologies is not only an asset to Sri Lanka, but it also sends a strong
message to the entire world that Sri Lanka is “back in business,” having successfully contained the global pandemic.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the management of HCL Technologies and extend my very best wishes for this important endeavor.