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Tracy
Tracy
Oct 15 2026
30HUTCH launched IgnitX 2026, a nationwide innovation challenge inviting young innovators across Sri Lankan universities to develop digital solutions built around the theme "The Future of Customer Servicing - Reimagining Customer Experience Through Digital Innovation."
IgnitX 2026 is the latest step in HUTCH's long-standing engagement with universities across Sri Lanka. Over the years, this has included initiatives such as mentoring programs focused on leadership development, workshop series aimed at building essential skills, field visits supporting undergraduate academic projects, and partnerships with universities. IgnitX takes this engagement further, giving HUTCH a dedicated platform to connect with and nurture Sri Lanka's next generation of innovators.
The challenge drew 50 teams from universities across Sri Lanka, who developed customer-centric digital solutions to address real-world pain points. Following a series of briefings, idea presentations, and evaluations, six teams were shortlisted as finalists to develop and showcase their prototypes at the Grand Finale held on 5th October at BMICH, Colombo. A team from the Institute of Information Technology (IIT) emerged as the winner, while two teams from the University of Moratuwa secured second and third places.
Commenting on the team’s victory, Tevin Silvester, on behalf of Team Zeptaz (Naveen Harry, Jayith Wejethunge and Ojith Adhithya) from IIT, said: “Participating in IgnitX 2026 was a rewardingly challenging experience for our team. The competition was inspiring and insightful, and the mentorship and feedback we received helped us sharpen our innovation in both our product and our pitch. It has further strengthened our confidence in identifying real-world problems and developing solutions that contribute to a better tomorrow, with valuable industry exposure that is hard to come by. We are grateful to HUTCH for this amazing opportunity.”
This initiative reflects HUTCH's evolution from a telecommunications provider into one of Sri Lanka's leading digital enablers. Backed by our parent company, CK Hutchison Holdings, a Fortune Global 500 conglomerate operating in over 50 countries with more than 300,000 employees, HUTCH follows its group’s commitment to social responsibility, creating new avenues for Sri Lanka’s next generation of changemakers to learn, innovate, and lead.
"At HUTCH, we believe innovation is best driven by young minds who are closest to the problems of tomorrow. IgnitX 2026 gives engineering undergraduates across Sri Lanka a platform to bring their ideas to the real world and contribute directly to the country's digital transformation journey. As we continue to support the country’s digital enablement, initiatives like IgnitX will help us build the talent pipeline that will shape Sri Lanka’s digital future," said Saumitra Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, HUTCH Sri Lanka.
IgnitX by Hutch will be held annually, establishing it as a recurring platform for undergraduates across the country to showcase innovative digital solutions and take their first steps into Sri Lanka's growing technology ecosystem.
