PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India’s Rs 169 crore data centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, officials said. 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 CMs Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida were also present. The RBI’s facility is spread across 18.55 acres at Info ValleyII in Jatni, and the foundation stone was laid by then RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023.

 

The data centre will host mission-critical payment and settlement systems, along with other flagship initiatives, the Government said in a statement. It will contribute to widening the reach, efficiency and reliability of digital financial services, and will form the secure digital foundation on which India’s increasingly technology-driven financial economy can grow, it said. Similarly, the Cybersecurity Training Institute will boost capability building, providing a dedicated institutional platform for cybersecurity and enterprisetechnology training, research, and sector-wide capability development, it said. The site was chosen for its geographical stability, away from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas, reducing exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities, an official said.