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Pooja Srivastava | Anytime News Network
: The scenic Hotel Taj in Lucknow witnessed a grand gathering of financial stalwarts as the Indian Investors Federation (IIF) hosted the prestigious ’11th Digital Banking Leadership Summit and Awards 2026.’ Uttar Pradesh Minister for Industrial Development, Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi,’ graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The high-profile event celebrated excellence, leadership, and path-breaking digital innovations across the nation’s banking and financial sectors.
The summit saw active participation from top-tier financial institutions, including senior representatives from Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Central Bank of India, Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and Indian Overseas Bank. Deliberations centered around the rapidly transforming digital ecosystem, the future of financial services, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, customer-centric innovations, and risk management. Discussions highlighted how digital banking has evolved from an alternative convenience into the absolute backbone of modern financial systems and everyday life.
A major highlight of the summit was the felicitation ceremony honoring industry leaders and visionaries. Canara Bank MD & CEO Brajesh Kumar Singh and PNB MD & CEO Ashok Chandra were honored with the ‘Chairman Award 2026.’ State Bank of India Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setti was bestowed with the prestigious ‘President Award 2026’ for his exceptional leadership. In the institutional categories, SBI, Bank of Baroda, and Bank of India bagged the ‘Bank of the Year’ awards, while UCO Bank secured the honor in the non-lead category for the third consecutive year. Lifetime industrial contributions of veterans like Gopal Gupta from Varanasi and Chaman Lal from Lucknow were also recognized.
Addressing the august gathering, Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ emphasized that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, digital banking has emerged as a formidable engine of economic empowerment. Gone are the days of long queues for basic banking chores; today, UPI, mobile banking, and digital payouts have revolutionized accessibility. He lauded Chief Minister Yogi आदित्यनाथ’s efforts in propelling industrial growth, investment, and employment across Uttar Pradesh, where the banking sector plays a phenomenal catalyst role.
Urging financial institutions to expand credit outreach, Minister Nandi requested special focus on MSMEs, young entrepreneurs, and rural women to foster grassroots economic resilience. He also stressed the pressing need to counter cyber fraud collectively, ensuring that the digital financial architecture remains utterly secure and trustworthy for every citizen.
The event witnessed the esteemed presence of Minister of State Jaswant Singh Saini, IIF UP President R.K. Sharan, Senior Vice President Sangeeta Srivastava, MSME Secretary Pranjal Yadav, Invest UP CEO Vijay Kiran Anand, RBI Regional Director Pankaj Kumar, NABARD CGM Pankaj Kumar, SBI CGM Deepesh Raj, and Indian Bank CGM S.K. Gupta, alongside several other dignitaries.
