Asian Digital Finance Forum & Awards 2025 convenes at Port City Colombo

The Asian Digital Finance Forum & Awards 2025, held recently at Port City Colombo as part of the Asia International Digital Economy & AI in Finance Summit, built on the success of its 2022 and 2023 editions.

Organized by the Asian FinTech Academy (AFTA) in collaboration with the Fintech Association of Sri Lanka (FASL), the event was supported by a strong coalition of international partners including Tech London Advocates (TLA), Global Tech Advocates (GTA), the International Digital Economies Association (iDEA), and Wall Street Fintech AI Inc. (USA).

FinTech Intel (UK) served as Strategic Global Media Partner, while the Commercial Bank of Ceylon joined as Official Banking Partner and Hilton Colombo as Official Hospitality Partner.

The forum also received support from TLA Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka & Maldives Chapter of the Colorado-USA based Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM), reflecting the country’s growing integration into global fintech and AI ecosystems.

In his opening address, Rajkumar Kanagasingam, Convener of the Forum and Industry Fellow at the Global Fintech Institute (Singapore), said: “As AI reshapes Asia’s financial landscape, intelligence must build trust, innovation must build bridges, and finance must create a fairer future for all.”

The forum, themed “Bridging Intelligence, Inclusion, and Innovation in Asia’s Financial Future,” featured keynote addresses from distinguished global experts who examined the convergence of AI, regulation, and sustainable growth across the financial sector.

Dr. Sivaguru S. Sritharan, pioneering aerodynamicist, AI researcher, and former Provost of the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, delivered a keynote titled “Quantum Computing, Turbulence Control, and Algorithmic Finance: Advanced Mathematics and AI at the Frontiers of Science.” He traced the evolution of algorithmic finance from Louis Bachelier’s 1900 Theory of Speculation to today’s convergence of quantum computing, AI, and turbulence control, highlighting how mathematical innovation continues to redefine risk modeling and financial systems. Dr. Sritharan called for greater investment in mathematical infrastructure and cross-disciplinary collaboration, urging finance leaders to unite advanced science with human values to “transform turbulence into trust.”

Professor Douglas Arner, Associate Director (Research) at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and Kerry Holdings Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong, spoke on “The Future of AI in Finance: Regulation, Innovation, and Sustainable Growth.” He emphasized that “finance is now fintech,” outlining five transformative forces—quantum computing, edge storage, 6G connectivity, generative AI, and energy systems—as the foundation of future finance. Arner underscored Asia’s leadership in digital public infrastructure, from UPI and PIX to CBDCs and AI regulation, noting the region’s growing influence in shaping a more resilient and inclusive financial order.

Sharhan Muhseen, Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC and veteran investment banker with experience at Credit Suisse, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and JPMorgan, delivered a special address on “Innovations and Leadership in Digital Finance.” He observed that Asia’s fintech revolution—driven by AI, blockchain, and open banking—is expanding rapidly, but emphasized that technology alone is not enough; visionary and ethical leadership are essential to ensure transparency, security, and inclusion.

Complementing the keynote sessions, expert speakers examined Asia’s evolving digital finance landscape. Lakshitha Jayaweera (Vice President, Citibank) discussed inclusive finance strategies; Rukmal Weerawarana (Co-Founder and CEO, Ren) analyzed AI’s developmental trajectory.

Dilshan Lankathilaka, a specialist in competency mapping and skills intelligence, presented “Enabling a Competency-Driven Sri Lanka in the Era of AI,” while Dulanjana Kumaratunge of BPC Banking Technologies addressed sustainable digital ecosystem development.

All recognitions under the Asian Digital Finance Forum & Awards 2025 were validated through a rigorous independent process led by Global Validation Chair Dr. Sritharan, combining research, generative-AI-assisted analysis, and cross-border benchmarking. Each acknowledgment was honorary and non-competitive, based on leadership impact, innovation significance, and alignment with the forum’s mission to advance ethical and inclusive AI in finance.

The institutional honorees included Nium (Singapore) for Global Leadership in Cross-Border Payments Optimization, recognizing its contribution to redefining real-time payments and embedded finance across 190+ countries, and Paytm (India) for AI-Powered Financial Inclusion, acknowledging its pioneering role in expanding digital payments and democratizing credit access through large-scale AI integration.

Individual honorees were Sopnendu Mohanty (Singapore) for AI & Fintech Governance Leadership, Neil Tan (Hong Kong) for AI-Driven Fintech Ecosystem Leadership, Purvi Munot (UAE / MENA) for Inclusive WealthTech Innovation, and Amira Abdelaziz (Egypt / MENA) for AI in Financial Inclusion & Policy.

A special Visionary Award for Next-Generation Financial Hub Development was presented to Port City Colombo in recognition of its commitment to developing an AI- and fintech-ready international financial ecosystem.

Previous special visionary honourees include the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) of India, recognized in 2023 for its pioneering role in advancing cross-border fintech innovation through GIFT City, India’s emerging global financial hub.

The continuity of this recognition underscores Asia’s growing leadership in designing next-generation financial centres that integrate artificial intelligence, digital assets, and sustainable finance frameworks within globally aligned governance models.

The forum closed with a vision for the future — where Asia’s infrastructure, innovation, and intelligence converge to redefine finance, uniting the region’s resolve to harness AI responsibly and build an inclusive, equitable digital era.

Contact Information

Rajkumar Kanagasingam

Convener

Asian Digital Finance Forum & Awards

Contact via E-mail