LankaPay, Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network, has announced the eighth edition of its flagship event, the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026. The announcement was made at a press conference held on February 25, 2026, at Hilton Colombo Residencies. Recognized as Sri Lanka’s first and only awards competition dedicated to payment technology innovation, the LankaPay Technnovation Awards continue to set the national benchmark for excellence in digital payments.
In line with the theme “Inclusive FinTech,” the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026 will honor financial institutions, FinTech companies, and government entities that have expanded access to financial services nationwide through innovation. These awards celebrate the delivery of secure and convenient digital payment solutions, from urban centers to the most remote communities. Established as the de facto national recognition standard for payment technology innovation, the awards attract significant industry and public engagement, including an online poll for the “Most Popular Digital Payment Solution of the Year 2025.” The grand finale and awards ceremony are scheduled for March 24, 2026, at Cinnamon Life. The event will be graced by Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, as Chief Guest, with Eng. Eranga Weerarathne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, attending as Guests of Honour, and Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy.
Initiated in 2017, the LankaPay Technnovation Awards aim to recognize pioneers in technology innovations within the country’s financial services sector. The objective is to honor banks, non-bank financial institutions, government bodies, and FinTechs committed to promoting digital payments and enhancing customer convenience.
Sri Lanka is steadily embracing digitalization, driven by vision, collaboration, and purposeful innovation, with financial inclusion at its core. The financial sector has remained resilient and forward-looking, playing a vital role in economic stability while ensuring digital financial services reach a broader spectrum of society. As the National Payment Network, LankaPay continues to enable inclusive digital payment solutions that expand access and empower individuals, businesses, and government institutions across the country. The LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026 pay tribute to the pioneers of Inclusive FinTech—those who have broken barriers to access and empowered everyday lives, bringing more Sri Lankans into the digital economy. Their innovations are shaping a shared journey toward an inclusive, empowered, and future-ready nation where progress is accessible to all.
The LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026 is supported by several leading industry players, reflecting a strong commitment to advancing Inclusive FinTech. The Strategic Partners include Mastercard, marking its second consecutive year of partnership, and BPC, stepping up as a Strategic Partner this year following its role as a Platinum Sponsor in 2025. The Platinum Sponsors are UnionPay International, partnering with the event for the fourth consecutive year, and NOVUS Technologies, associating for the second time. The Gold Sponsor, Alipay+, continues its strong association with the event, marking its third consecutive year of partnership. The Silver Sponsors include JCB International, supporting the awards since its inception in 2017; NETS Singapore, partnering for the fifth consecutive year; and N-able, joining the event for the first time. Rolling & Action joins as the Official Creative Agency for the second consecutive year. Media Sponsors include Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Sunday Times, Financial Chronicle Biz, FM Derana, and TV Derana.
In its commitment to advancing financial inclusivity, the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026 aim to strengthen the efficiency, reach, and impact of Sri Lanka’s national payment network. The award criteria for 2026 consider interbank digital payment performance from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Banks, non-banking financial institutions, FinTech service providers, and government institutions demonstrating a steadfast commitment to inclusive digital payment innovation will compete across 12 award categories. These include the Overall Award for Excellence in Digital Payments, Excellence in Customer Convenience, Best Institution for Financial Inclusivity, Most Innovative Financial Institution, Most Popular Digital Payment Solution, Best Digital Payment App for Retail Payments, Best Enabler for Cross-border Transactions, Best Digital Government Payments Enabler, Best Government Institution for GovPay, Best LankaPay Card Enabler, Best Enabler for LankaSign Digital Signatures, and Best Digital Payment Strategy.
The initial shortlisting for the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026 was conducted based on a predefined set of evaluation criteria, communicated at the commencement of the assessment period and subjected to an independent audit process. In the second evaluation phase, shortlisted institutions presented their success stories to an independent and distinguished panel of judges.
The Chairman of the Panel of Judges is Mr. Rajeeva Bandaranaike, Chief Executive Officer of the Colombo Stock Exchange and Chairman of the Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka. He is also a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee of the World Federation of Stock Exchanges (WFE). The esteemed judging panel further comprises Mr. Manil Jayesinghe, Chairman of the Statutory Accounting Standards Committee and Accounting Standards Committee of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), and Former Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Sri Lanka & Maldives; Mr. Sujeewa Rajapakse, Managing Partner of BDO Partners and Former Chairman of the Statutory Auditing Standards Committee; Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe, Partner at B R De Silva & Company and Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka; Ms. Chamila Cooray, General Manager – Shared Services at Hemas C O E (Pvt) Ltd and Chairperson of the prestigious TAGS Awards 2025/26 organized by CA Sri Lanka; and Mr. Dulith Herath, Founder and Chairman of Kapruka PLC, Sri Lanka’s largest e-commerce enterprise.
