COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's digital revolution is in full swing, with mobile phone penetration exceeding 150 percent and Internet usage skyrocketing to 52 percent, a state minister said on Jan 19.

Speaking at a conference in Colombo, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath urged marketers to embrace the digital wave or risk being left behind.

Sri Lanka's marketing landscape remains heavily skewed towards traditional channels, with a staggering 79 percent of budgets still devoted to print, television and outdoor advertising, according to Herath.

This gap, he warned, is hindering Sri Lankan businesses from reaching their full potential in the global marketplace.

He outlined the government's DIGIECON 2030 plan, which aims to propel the island nation's digital economy to 15 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, up from 4.3 billion dollars in 2023.