Sri Lanka, Feb. 4 -- Sri Lanka's construction industry must move decisively from "survival mode" to "growth mode" and reposition itself as a core driver of the national economy rather than a purely domestic service sector, the newly appointed President of the Chamber of Construction Industry of Sri Lanka (CCI), Vernon Manilal Fernando said.

Fernando, sharing his vision for the local construction sector, which has contributed an estimated 5-10 percent to gross domestic product, has endured nearly six years of stagnation and liquidity stress, leaving contractors constrained just as the government prepares to scale up public infrastructure spending.

"We must transition the industry from 'survival mode' to 'growth mode,' positioning it as t...