Unionpay International aboard as Gold Sponsor of Lankapay Technnovation Awards 2023

 From left: LankaPay HR and Administration Head Lakshman Palliyaguruge, LankaPay Finance DGM Rasika Galappaththy, LankaPay Chief Operating Officer Dinuka Perera, UnionPay International Sri Lanka and Maldives Country Manager Crispin Wijesekera, UnionPay International Sri Lanka and Maldives Products and Business Development Head Benzy Fernando and UnionPay International Sri Lanka and Maldives Marketing and Branding Head Arouf Samoon 

LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2023 is given fresh impetus with the leading international card scheme UnionPay coming aboard as the Gold Sponsor. 

It is the first time that UnionPay International is partnering with LankaPay for this awards competition which is the first and the only payment technology innovation awards in the country, organised for the 5th consecutive year by LankaPay – Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network. 

LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2023 will be held on 21st March 2023 from 6.00 pm onwards at the Ballroom, Shangri-la Hotel, Colombo. 

Spearheaded by the theme of ‘Innovation to the Core’, the award competition recognises the banks, non-banking financial institutions as well as FinTechs who have steadfast to the course of enhancing customer convenience through payment technology innovations and promoting digital payments in the country. During the year 2021/22 alone, Sri Lanka saw a value of Rs. 18,671,820,577,107 being transacted via digital means through the LankaPay network. This would not have been possible if not for the banks, non-banking financial institutions as well as FinTechs who thrived for customer convenience through payment technology innovations. The award competition is the only platform which recognises these trailblazers who are the drivers of the digital transformation in the country. 

Speaking of the partnership with UnionPay international, LankaPay GM/CEO Channa de Silva said: “We are delighted to welcome UnionPay International as the Gold Sponsor of the 5th edition of LankaPay Technnovation Awards – an initiative towards recognising the payment technology innovators in the country, which has far reaching impact in driving the digital economy of the country. 

“Since its inception, LankaPay Technnovation Awards took reins in providing a platform for the financial sector to bring together and reward the efforts of the technology trailblazers in the industry. We are grateful to UnionPay International for its enthusiasm in being a part of this important event and excited to welcome them aboard.”

Speaking of the partnership, UnionPay International Hong Kong Branch General Manager Michelle Shao commented: “We welcome this partnership and the opportunity to champion the innovators within the finance industry as they work towards developing better solutions for customers across the country. We commend LankaPay for initiating this prestigious event and stoking the fire of innovation within the industry.”