PM Modi inaugurates RBI's Rs 169 crore data centre in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Rs 169-crore data centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute at Jatni near Bhubaneswar, marking an expansion of the central bank's digital infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, Odisha Governor Brajmohan Ram, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida attended the inauguration.

The facility, spread across 18.55 acres at Info Valley-II in Jatni, was developed following the laying of its foundation stone by then RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

According to a government statement, the data centre will host mission-critical payment and settlement systems, along with other flagship initiatives of the RBI.

The facility is expected to improve the reach, efficiency and reliability of digital financial services while providing a secure technological foundation for India's increasingly digital financial economy.

Officials said the infrastructure had been designed to meet the RBI's growing computing requirements and provide a secure, resilient, scalable and future-ready computing ecosystem for the central bank and the wider financial sector.

The Jatni facility will be the RBI's second data centre of its kind after the one in Navi Mumbai, according to Chief Minister Majhi.

𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The Cybersecurity Training Institute inaugurated alongside the data centre will focus on strengthening cybersecurity capabilities across the financial sector.

It will provide a dedicated institutional platform for cybersecurity and enterprise-technology training, research and sector-wide capacity development.

The institute is intended to support the development of technical expertise and improve preparedness against emerging cyber threats affecting financial systems.

Officials said the location was selected because of its geographical stability and distance from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas.

These factors are expected to reduce the facility's exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities.

𝗘𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Modi arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at 4.15 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft.

He subsequently travelled by helicopter to Khurda before proceeding by road to the RBI facility.

Officials said the Prime Minister was scheduled to spend around an hour at the data centre before returning to the airport by road and departing at approximately 6.30 pm.

Around 2,100 police personnel were deployed as part of elaborate security arrangements for the visit.

Traffic restrictions were also imposed between 5.40 pm and 6.40 pm along the route connecting the RBI data centre with the airport.

𝗢𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵

In a social media post, Chief Minister Majhi said the RBI data centre would contribute to Odisha's development journey.

He noted that Sunday's visit was Modi's ninth to the state since the BJP government assumed office in 2024.

The Chief Minister highlighted the significance of the new facility in strengthening the state's technological infrastructure.

Officials said the data centre and training institute would support the RBI's expanding digital operations while enhancing the security and resilience of India's financial infrastructure.