Modi inaugurates RBI data centre, cybersecurity training institute in Odisha

 “Wars are no longer fought only with weapons; a country’s economy can also be weakened through attacks,” says PM Modi

By Sukant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) new Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute at Info Valley-II in Jatni, Khordha district, describing the facility as a significant addition to the country’s digital infrastructure.

“Today, Bhubaneswar is giving a new institution to the new India. The inauguration of RBI’s Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute here is an important occasion,” Mr Modi said, congratulating all those associated with the project.

Highlighting the government’s development strategy, the Prime Minister said it was committed to a model of “pro-people, proactive good governance”, emphasising balanced regional development and the creation of opportunities in villages and smaller towns.

Stressing the need to secure the country’s financial systems, Mr Modi said, “Nowadays, wars are not fought only with weapons. If you want to weaken a country, this can also be done by attacking its economy. And when India is becoming economically strong, we also need to protect our banking system from cyber thieves and cyber terrorists.”

Spread over 18.55 acres and constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 169 crore, the facility is the RBI’s second data centre, after the one in Navi Mumbai. It is intended to enhance the security and resilience of India’s critical financial infrastructure, particularly payment systems such as Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT).

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the growing adoption of digital payments in India, noting that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) handles more than 2,400 crore transactions every month, equivalent to nearly 80 crore transactions daily.

Describing data centres as the “vault of the digital age”, Ms Sitharaman said the new facility would strengthen the country’s domestic capacity to support critical digital payment infrastructure.

She also highlighted the role of the Cybersecurity Training Institute, which has a dedicated research wing. The institute is expected to build specialised expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre technologies.

The data centre will facilitate the secure storage and management of information related to digital financial transactions. It is also designed to help maintain the continuity of banking services during cyberattacks, technical failures and other disruptions.

In addition, the facility will focus on emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI and big data analytics. Its training and research programmes are expected to develop the expertise needed to protect India’s rapidly expanding digital financial ecosystem.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries attended the inauguration.

Following the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow from Jatni to Bhubaneswar airport before departing for New Delhi.