A Move for Emerging Entrepreneurial War Heroes Through the
“Pride Of Warrior-Preneurs” Program
November 03, 2025
A progress review meeting on the 'Defence Contribution to National Entrepreneurship Development and Business Startup Programs' was held last Thursday (October 30), at the Deputy Minister's Office in Colombo. This is an extended move of the initiative undertaken to assign retiring and retired Armed Forces members into national economic development as entrepreneurs under the project named ‘Mission Reboot’.
The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Mr. Nalin Hewage, and Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Mr. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, underscoring the inter-ministerial collaboration.
Armed forces members acquire a wide range of skills during their service. Those with an interest in industrial fields such as food and beverage, garment and apparel, security, technical services, agriculture, trading, and logistics are well-positioned to become entrepreneurs upon retirement.
To address this need, interviews were conducted to recruit candidates for a pilot project. The selected trainees were then categorized based on their specific training requirements, which included business planning, financial literacy, digital marketing, ecosystem navigation, and sector-specific technology
The meeting focused on evaluating the current progress of the ongoing entrepreneurship project and measures to secure the necessary administrative arrangements for retiring and retired members of the Tri-Forces.
Further discussions were held regarding the facilitation of vocational training courses through the Ministry of Industries to provide Tri-Forces personnel with access to nationally recognized skill development programs under the ‘pride of warrior-preneurs’ program. The participants also reviewed possibilities for obtaining additional assistance from the Vocational Training Authority (VTA) to strengthen existing training frameworks.
The Deputy Minister of Defence emphasized the importance of equipping Tri-Forces members with professional and technical skills aligned with national workforce demands, enabling their effective transition to civilian employment and contribution to national development.
The Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), the Director General Vocational Training Authority Major General Priyantha Weerasinghe (Retd), the Director, Entrepreneurship Development and officials of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Industries participated in the discussion.
