Mastercard announced that Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty, will come on board as brand ambassadors in India. As winners of the prestigious Thomas Cup 2022 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the new ambassadors will partner with Mastercard to spread awareness about the safety, security, and convenience of digital payments in India. This partnership is in line with the efforts of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Digital India.
Over the years, India has seen an increasingly diverse sports landscape, and Mastercard’s foray into badminton runs alongside the evolution of India’s sporting industry. Earlier this year, Mastercard signed on Shiv Kapur to enhance its leading panel of golfers, which also includes Anirban Lahiri as a brand ambassador. Globally, Mastercard is deeply invested in sports from tennis to cricket to soccer to e-sports, with badminton now added to the list.
Today’s badminton ambassadors reflect the aspirations of a resurgent India and serve as respected role models to the younger generations. Similar to the key role played by Mastercard’s brand ambassador MS Dhoni, the badminton stars will be a part of Mastercard’s Team Cashless India campaign, which works with merchants and cardholders to create awareness of safety, security, and convenience of digital payments.
Nikhil Sahni, Division President, South Asia, Mastercard said, “Creating awareness about the convenience and safety of digital payments in India is a top priority for Mastercard. Mastercard is delighted to team up with Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty, who serve as an inspiration to millions of sports enthusiasts in the country. With support from the new badminton brand ambassadors, Mastercard aims to meaningfully engage with millions of cardholders and help support India’s cash-to-digital journey.”
Lakshya Sen said, “I am humbled and grateful for what I have been able to achieve, from growing up in Almora, Uttarakhand, to putting India on the world stage in badminton. I am honored to serve as an inspiration to millions of Indians by partnering with Mastercard to tangibly demonstrate the benefits, ease, and safety of digital payments, which I have experienced firsthand.”
Mastercard continues to contribute to furthering the government’s efforts toward a Digital India and has undertaken several initiatives including workshops on digital payments for MSMEs, educational street plays, and knowledge sessions for farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Team Cashless India to increase merchant digitization.