PM Modi inaugurates RBI data centre, cybersecurity training institute in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) data centre and cybersecurity training institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The new data centre will house the RBI's mission-critical systems, including the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) platforms.

The training institute will develop expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Addressing the inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the new facilities would play an important role in making India's banking system more efficient, secure and dependable.

"The coming decade belongs to making banking more efficient and more dependable," he said, adding that robust data centres and powerful computing systems were necessary to protect the banking system's digital infrastructure.

Modi said the nature of cyber threats was evolving and India could not tackle emerging challenges with outdated systems, training modules and tools.

"Modern warfare is not waged solely with weapons. Weakening a country can also be attempted by striking at its economy," he said, stressing the need to protect the banking system from cybercriminals and cyberterrorists.

He said the new cybersecurity training institute would help address the need for modern infrastructure and skilled human resources to counter such threats.

The prime minister also highlighted the expansion of digital banking and financial inclusion, saying the country's banking sector had undergone a transformation over the past decade.

Modi said schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PM SVANidhi and PM Vishwakarma had helped bring small entrepreneurs, street vendors and traditional artisans into the formal banking system.

The prime minister said the focus over the past decade had been on extending banking access to people who were previously excluded, while the coming decade would focus on improving the efficiency and reliability of banking services.

“ In this effort, this new Data Centre in Odisha will play a major role,” Modi said. “If we are to keep the banking system secure, its digital infrastructure must also remain protected. For this reason, we require robust data centres and empowered computing systems.”

He also highlighted the growing role of eastern India in the country's economic development, saying Odisha was emerging as a destination for investments in data centres, advanced computing, semiconductors and electronics.

"Odisha is set to script a new future, spanning from mines to microchips," he said, adding that emerging investment opportunities would create avenues for the state's youth.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the central bank was committed to leveraging emerging technologies, strengthening digital infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity and developing indigenous technological capabilities.

He also highlighted the RBI's efforts to support India's aspiration of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

The inauguration was attended by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Odisha Governor Brajmohan Ram, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, and other dignitaries.