On 23 September 2026, the second day of the World CIO 200 Grand Finale 2026 brought together global CIOs, technology leaders, government representatives, policymakers and industry experts in Colombo for a full day of conversations covering digital transformation, financial services, healthcare, cybersecurity, women in technology and the future of digital leadership.
The day began with registration, networking breakfast and the opening of the exhibition, followed by the arrival of Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The opening ceremony featured a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony and cultural dance, setting the stage for the Grand Finale.
The formal proceedings began with an Opening Note by Ronak Samantaray, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Enterprise Connect, followed by a Distinguished Welcome Note from Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The morning programme continued with the Prime Minister Felicitation and launch of BOTS 2026, followed by the official photograph. A Host Country Welcome Address was then delivered by H.E. Dr. Arusha Cooray, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the UAE, followed by a Ministerial Welcome on “Science, Tech & Sovereign Innovation” by Hon. Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology, Sri Lanka.
The morning also marked the launch of BOTS 2026 (Book of Titans), the Global CIO Forum’s annual platform recognising influential CIOs and technology leaders from across the global technology community.
The programme also featured the launch of The Global CIO Journal, introducing a new platform for CIO perspectives, technology insights and leadership stories.
The programme then moved into a Partner Keynote by Mr. Harry Ault, Chief Executive Officer, WSO2, followed by speaker and audience engagement with Basil Ayyas, Head of Public Sector, Google Cloud.
The morning continued with the Partner Keynote “Enterprise Cloud Scale & Transformation” by Mr. Ali El Kontar, Founder and CEO, Zero&one, followed by another speaker and audience engagement session with Basil Ayyas.
The first major panel of the day, “Government Without Borders: Who Will Build the World’s Next Digital Nation?”, brought together perspectives from government and technology leaders.
Moderator:
- Ms. Isabelle Mauny – Vice President & Field CTO, WSO2
Panelists:
- Mr. Yudhistira Nugraha – Head of the Bureau of Communication and Public Relations, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Republic of Indonesia
- Mr. Javeed Abdul Baree – Delivery Director and Program Head, Confidential
- Mr. Benard Kinyua Kariuki – Director ICT, County Government of Nyandarua
The discussion explored the evolving role of governments, technology and digital infrastructure in building connected and digitally enabled nations.
The programme continued with a Thought Leadership Keynote by Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham, CEO, Jayashree Industries, followed by further speaker and audience engagement with Basil Ayyas.
This was followed by a keynote session from Mr. Basil Ayyas, Head of Public Sector, Google Cloud, bringing a public-sector technology perspective to the Grand Finale programme.
The morning also featured the launch of The Global CIO Journal, presented by Ms. Sindhu Kashyap, Editor, Global Enterprise Connect, followed by a Fireside Chat between Mr. Ranjit Rajan, C-suite/Board Digital Advisor, and Mr. Basil Ayyas.
After a networking lunch, the afternoon programme resumed with a Thought Leadership Keynote by Mr. Jainam Jain, Young Entrepreneur, Speaker and Leadership Coach, MengoEngine, followed by another speaker and audience engagement session with Basil Ayyas.
The technology-focused programme continued with the Partner Keynote “Transform Innovation with Dell x Mindware”, featuring Mr. Harsha Arachchige, Dell Technologies. Running alongside the main programme was a Parallel Boardroom powered by Saviynt, providing an additional platform for focused leadership discussions.
The afternoon then turned to cross-border technology collaboration with the panel “The Sri Lanka-UAE Digital Corridor: Cross-Border Tech Partnerships.”
Moderator:
- Dr. Kalpana Rasangika Ambepitiya – Senior Lecturer, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka; Head, UNESCO Entrepreneurship Education Network (EE-Net) – Sri Lanka National Chapter
Panelists:
- Hon. Alexi Gunasekera – Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai & Northern Emirates
- Mr. Indika De Zoysa – Vice President, CSSL
The session brought together perspectives on technology cooperation and opportunities for stronger digital partnerships between Sri Lanka and the UAE.
Day 1 concluded with closing remarks, followed by the Day One Dinner and Networking, giving delegates an opportunity to continue conversations and build connections beyond the main stage.
The opening day set the tone for the World CIO 200 Grand Finale by bringing together government, enterprise and technology leaders around discussions on digital nations, sovereign innovation, cloud transformation, public-sector technology and cross-border digital partnerships.
With leaders and delegates from across the global technology ecosystem, the World CIO 200 Grand Finale 2026continues in Colombo with further keynotes, panel discussions, interactive sessions, networking and leadership conversations.
