City Union Bank IBA Technology Awards show tech leadership
Newzdaddy Business Updates
City Union Bank IBA Technology Awards recognise people-focused technology
City Union Bank (CUB) achieved a landmark milestone by winning six major accolades at the IBA Technology Awards 2024–2025, presented during the 21st Annual Technology Conference, Expo & Citations, held in Mumbai on Friday, January 9, 2026. The achievement places CUB among a very small group of Indian banks that have shown steady and long-term commitment to digital growth rather than short-term upgrades.
The awards were presented by T. Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, to N. Kamakodi, Managing Director and CEO of City Union Bank. Recognition from a senior RBI official carries special weight, as the central bank closely monitors how technology is used to manage risk, protect customers, and support financial stability. Such an acknowledgement reflects regulatory confidence in the bank’s systems and governance.
City Union Bank was crowned Best Technology Bank, along with top honours for AI and machine learning adoption, digital financial inclusion, digital sales, and IT risk management. These areas are considered critical for modern banking, as Indian customers increasingly rely on mobile banking, UPI payments, and digital loan processing. Banks that perform well in these fields are often better prepared to handle growth, cyber threats, and customer expectations.
Winning the Best AI and ML Adoption award highlights CUB’s use of smart systems to detect fraud, analyse customer behaviour, and improve credit decisions. Across the banking sector, artificial intelligence is now widely used to spot unusual transactions and reduce losses, especially as online payments grow. CUB’s recognition suggests its systems are not only in place but working effectively at scale.
The award for Best Digital Financial Inclusion reflects the bank’s continued focus on semi-urban and rural India. Many banks struggle to extend digital services beyond big cities due to connectivity issues and low digital literacy. CUB’s work in this area supports national goals of bringing more people into the formal banking system through simple apps, assisted digital services, and local branch support.
Being named Best Digital Sales Bank shows how technology has helped the bank reach customers faster and more efficiently. Digital sales platforms allow customers to open accounts, apply for loans, or buy financial products without repeated branch visits. For banks, this reduces costs and speeds up service delivery, which is increasingly important in a competitive market.
Strong IT risk management is another area where regulators and customers expect high standards. Cyber attacks, data leaks, and system outages can damage trust overnight. CUB’s award in this category points to robust controls, regular audits, and careful monitoring of systems, which are essential as banks handle more sensitive data online.
In addition to the five wins, City Union Bank was declared runner-up for Best Fintech and DPI Adoption. India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, including UPI, Aadhaar-based services, and account aggregators, has transformed how banks operate. Close integration with these platforms allows smoother payments, quicker verification, and better customer experience. CUB’s position in this category shows it is keeping pace with national digital frameworks.
The Indian Banks’ Association Technology Awards are widely seen as the gold standard in banking technology recognition. The awards cover public sector, private sector, cooperative, small finance, payment, regional rural, and foreign banks. This wide competition makes multiple wins especially notable, as banks of all sizes compete on innovation, safety, and impact.
This is the third straight year that City Union Bank has secured six or more IBA Technology Awards. In an industry where technology changes quickly, consistency is often harder to achieve than a single standout year. Repeated recognition suggests that digital systems, staff skills, and leadership vision are built into the organisation rather than driven by short-term projects.
The awards were judged by a respected jury that included senior leaders from academia, payments, and banking. Such panels typically look beyond presentations and review real outcomes, system strength, and risk controls. Their endorsement adds credibility to the bank’s claims of technology depth and execution strength.
City Union Bank’s technology journey, stretching from early core banking upgrades to recent AI adoption, shows steady and planned progress. Core system upgrades enabled real-time processing, while later investments in cybersecurity and digital channels supported growth during high-demand periods like the pandemic. Integration with India Stack and fintech partners reflects a practical approach to innovation rather than experimental use of technology.
Overall, the six awards underline how City Union Bank has balanced modern digital tools with a strong human focus. By serving urban, semi-urban, and rural customers through secure and inclusive systems, the bank has shown that technology-led banking can remain personal, reliable, and rooted in trust.
