Author: Jekhan Aruliah
OPINION – Northern Investment Summit, Jaffna January 2026
By Jekhan Aruliah When the topic of the Northern economy comes up, Jaffna is often criticized for living on remittances. Small transfers, perhaps a hundred US dollars a month, sent by hard working people overseas to their families in Jaffna and the Northern Province. These gifts are said to be ruining Jaffna youth and the […]
The Chamber of Northern Exporters (CNE) Delivering Goods and Services From Jaffna and the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah We have heard it so many times, “We must export more!”. We have heard it from politicians and economists and assorted commentators of assorted quality through miscellaneous channels. “We must export more” deserves the internet acronym SOTBO. Internet slang for a “Statement Of The Bleeding Obvious”. A statement so basic, so self-evident, […]
Small Investors For Polytunnel Agriculture in the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah Nirojan comes from a family of farmers. Born in 1990, his parents farmed two acres of banana and chillies in Killinochchi. Like hundreds of thousands of others during the Sri Lankan Civil War they became IDPs (IDP, Internally Displaced Persons, refugees in their own country). Streams of people fleeing first from their […]
Synamon Global’s Seacucumber Symposium 2025 in Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah The Seacucumber Symposium in Jaffna, sponsored by the US based investment organisation Synamon Global, brought together many diverse opinions to share and enhance knowledge and understanding. Academics and entrepreneurs gave their opinions and advice, occasionally in heated fashion. Thus achieving Synamon Global’s objective, to make the seacucumber industry a powerful sustainable and […]
The Once and Future Industrial Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah The Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlparnam, CCIY, was born in the short period of optimism in 1999. When the Sri Lankan Civil War, at that time already aflame for 16 years, seemed to be heading toward a settlement. Opposing sides were sitting at the same negotiating table. That optimism was […]
Seafoods, Seacucumber, and Seizing Opportunity in Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah Mr Ganendran is from Navaly, near Manipay Jaffna. Born in 1975 to a Christian Catholic family, Ganendran had his schooling from Grade 3 to A’Levels at St Patrick’s College. St Patrick’s is one of the leading Jaffna schools, not far from Jaffna Fort. In the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War, […]
David Pieris Group Launches Northern Entrepreneur Seed Fund
By Jekhan Aruliah I first met Mr David Pieris in 2021. David came for tea at my place in Jaffna on one of his business visits to the North. The David Pieris Motor Company (DPMC) has operated in the North for decades including throughout the Sri Lanka civil war. David told me of his vision […]
Sri Lanka’s Economy, Hare or Tortoise?
By Jekhan Aruliah I was listening to a very eloquent speaker on YouTube. He commented, as our public speakers often do, that we in Sri Lanka are a blessed nation. Blessed with abundant natural assets, our forests and beaches etc, and copious human talents. And yet this blessed nation is chronically poor and in 2022 […]
“If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger” Jaffna’s 3AxisLabs’ journey into Artificial Intelligence.
By Jekhan Aruliah “If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger”. This slogan could have been written for Artificial Intelligence. Actually it was coined over a hundred years ago by the nineteenth century German philosopher Nietzche. Coined at a time when intelligent robots were the stuff of science fiction and baloney. Nowadays the upsides […]
SLIIT Northern Uni, ICT and Business Management Degrees in Jaffna
By Jekhan Aruliah I often walk past the SLIIT Northern Uni building in Jaffna at the junction of Arasadi and Palaly Road on my way from my place to Jaffna Town. I watched last year, 2023, with great interest as the foundations were laid, the columns and slabs were poured, the glass was fitted. There […]
Jaffna’s New Tech Talent Incubator
By Jekhan Aruliah I know people for whom Rs10k is a lot, and others where Rs1million is not a lot. But for rich and poor one thing is the same. We all have 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and God willing 60 years to contribute our efforts. Contribute to our […]
K.C.Vignarajah, 1940-2024, An Appreciation
By Jekhan Aruliah I first met Kangasu Chelvadurai Vignarajah, known to many by his initials KC, in 2016. I remember from that first meeting, a dinner of the Sri Lanka India Society, the mischief in his smile, the glint in his eye. Always elegantly dressed, Vigna had rare poise, manners and eloquence. It was a […]