Prime Minister Narendra Modi switched on the Reserve Bank of India's new digital backbone in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, marking the operational launch of a Rs 169-crore data centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute. The facility, spread across 18.55 acres at Info Valley-II in Jatni, now hosts the central bank's most sensitive payment and settlement systems. This move shifts critical financial infrastructure from a single point of failure to a geographically resilient model. The foundation stone was laid by former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023.
The site selection was deliberate and data-driven. Officials cited the location's stability, placing it away from seismic zones and high-risk border areas to mitigate natural and geopolitical risks. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, and Odisha Governor Brajmohan Ram stood alongside the Prime Minister for the ceremony. The institute will also double as a training ground for cybersecurity research and enterprise technology, building institutional capacity beyond mere storage.
For Odisha, this is a strategic economic signal. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi noted on social media that this is the Prime Minister's ninth visit to the state since the BJP government took office in 2024. Majhi emphasized that the Jatni data centre will be the second of its kind after Navi Mumbai, reinforcing the state's position in the national digital economy. The governor's office highlighted the facility's role in widening the reach and reliability of digital financial services across the region.
Security protocols were tight. Police deployed approximately 2,100 personnel for the event. Traffic restrictions were enforced from 5:40 pm to 6:40 pm along the route connecting the data centre to Biju Patnaik International Airport. Modi arrived by special IAF aircraft and helicopter, spending about an hour at the site before departing. The next phase involves full operational integration of the payment systems, with the RBI expected to announce further details on cyber-resilience upgrades in the coming months.