Arumaithurai Subakaran

Arumaithurai Subakaran is a development practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in subnational governance in Sri Lanka, focusing on municipal finance, local economic development, and public service delivery. He began his career as an environmental engineer before moving into the subnational governance sector in the early 2000s. He currently serves as project director of the Strengthening Subnational Governance Program and was the founding executive director of the Centre for Governance Innovations.

He has worked with more than 100 local governments across all nine provinces, particularly in the war-affected northern and eastern regions. His past roles include senior advisory positions in multiple governance programs. He has contributed to several high-level committees and expert groups, including as a technical expert for developing performance indicators for local authorities, a governance expert for the Western Region Megapolis Plan, and urban governance lead for UN-Habitat’s State of Sri Lankan Cities Report, and a member of the steering committee for the Strategic Development Fund of the Northern Provincial Council. Since March 2025, he has served as a council member of the University of Jaffna and is involved in revitalizing the Jaffna Public Library.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Moratuwa and postgraduate diplomas in environmental engineering, occupational safety and health, and development studies from the University of Colombo.