LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2025 to honour champions of ‘finnovation’

Strategic partnership presented by Mastercard Sri Lanka and Maldives Country Manager Sandun Hapugoda (second from left) 

LankaPay, has announced the seventh edition of its signature event – LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2025, Sri Lanka’s first and the only payment technology innovation awards.

The de facto recognition standard for payment technology innovations in the country, LankaPay Technnovation Awards has emerged the most anticipated event amongst the country’s banking fraternity. The competition kicked off with the much-awaited online poll for the “Most Popular Digital Payment Product of the Year – 2024” on 7 February. The grand finale and awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on 26 March at Grand Ballroom, Shangri-la Colombo under the patronage of Chief Guest, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Guests of Honour, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weerarathne, and Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya.

Initiated in 2017, LankaPay Technnovation Awards aims to recognise the pioneers of technology innovations in the financial services sector of the country. The objective is to recognise the banks, non-bank financial institutions, Government institutions and FinTechs who have been steadfast to the cause of promoting digital payments, thereby enhancing customer convenience.

The country’s financial sector has been one of the most resilient and fastest-growing industries, playing a pivotal role in maintaining economic stability despite numerous challenges. In the ever-evolving landscape of finance and technology, Sri Lanka has kept pace with its regional counterparts in digital transformation. As technology continues to redefine financial services, LankaPay, as the country’s National Payment Network, remains at the forefront of driving financial innovation (Finnovation) by introducing cutting-edge solutions that enhance accessibility, efficiency, and inclusivity. This transformation is not just an individual effort but a collective mission by the entire financial sector to push boundaries, embrace new technological frontiers, and revolutionise financial services to meet the evolving needs of consumers. LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2025 serves as a tribute to financial institutions and FinTech pioneers who have been instrumental in Finnovation, leveraging advanced technologies to reshape the financial ecosystem. It is a platform that recognises those who have seized opportunities, adapted to change, and introduced groundbreaking solutions that drive the future of financial services.

LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2025 is aptly supported by a host of sponsors. 

The Strategic Partner of the event is Mastercard, marking its first partnership with LankaPay Technnovation Awards. The Platinum Sponsors are UnionPay International and BPC, with UnionPay associating the event for the third time. The Gold Sponsor is Alipay+, partnering with the event for the second time. The Silver Sponsors are JCB International and NETS Singapore, with JCB International sponsoring the event since its inception in 2017, and NETS Singapore partnering for the fourth consecutive year. Rolling & Action joins as the Official Creative Agency, partnering with the event for the first time. The Media Sponsors include Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Sunday Times, Ada Derana Biz, FM Derana, and TV Derana.

In a quest to drive financial inclusivity in the country, which is a key objective of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, LankaPay Technnovation Awards intends to enhance the efficiency of the country’s national payment network. Award criteria for 2025 considers interbank transactions during the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2024. Banks, non-banking financial institutions and FinTech service providers who have steadfast to this cause and exceled in this endeavour will be vying under 14 award categories. 

The categories include Overall Award for Excellence in Digital Payments, Excellence in Customer Convenience, Best Common ATM Enabler of the Year, Financial Institution of the Year for Financial Inclusivity, Most Innovative Bank of the Year, Most Popular Digital Payment Product, Best Bank for Retail Payments, Best Mobile Application for Retail Payments via JustPay, Best LANKAQR Enabler, Best Bank for Digital Government Payments, Best Government Institution for Enabling Digital Payments, Best LankaPay Card Implementer of the Year, Best Institution to adopt LankaSign Digital Signatures and Best Digital Payment Strategy.

The Panel of Judges Chairman is Colombo Stock Exchange Chief Executive Officer and Lanka Financial Services Bureau Ltd., Board Member Rajeeva Bandaranaike. He is also a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee of the World Federation of Stock Exchanges (WFE). The panel also includes; B.R. De Silva & Company Partner and CA Sri Lanka Past President Lasantha Wickremasinghe, Statutory Accounting Standards Committee, and the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Accounting Standards Committee Chairman, and Ernst & Young Former Country Managing Partner for Sri Lanka and Maldives Manil Jayesinghe, South Asian Federation of Accountants Women’s Leadership Committee Chairperson and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka Governing Council Member Chamila Cooray, Sri Lanka’s largest e-commerce enterprise, Kapruka PLC Founder and Chairman Dulith Herath, and Brandix Board Director and Group Chief Operating Officer – Digital Transformation and Ceylinco Life PLC Non-Executive Independent Director Oshada Senanayake.