PM Modi to inaugurate Rs 169-crore RBI data centre in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on 25 October to inaugurate a new Rs 169-crore Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data centre, marking a major milestone in strengthening the country's financial infrastructure and digital resilience.

The state-of-the-art facility is designed to bolster national data security, ensuring robust backup and real-time processing capabilities for India's rapidly growing digital banking network. Located in Odisha, the facility underlines the government's push to build high-tech digital assets beyond major metros, enhancing regional technological development in eastern India.

Strengthening national financial infrastructure

The establishment of the dedicated RBI data centre comes amid a nationwide expansion of critical digital infrastructure aimed at safeguarding economic transactions and protecting national sovereign data. Officials indicated that the centre will support advanced computing operations, disaster recovery, and secure cloud management for central banking functions.

The new infrastructure arrives at a time when India is placing paramount emphasis on digital sovereignty and indigenous capability. Parallel debates over national network security have seen domestic groups, including the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, advocate for stringent security standards and local data safeguards across all telecommunications and satellite broadband services.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan called for strict scrutiny on foreign satellite providers, stressing the importance of developing robust, self-reliant communication networks. The Union Ministry of Communications confirmed that regulatory assessments remain underway for all spectrum applicants, including OneWeb India, Jio Satellite Communications, and Starlink.

Next steps for regional technology hubs

The Prime Minister's visit to Odisha highlights the expanding footprint of high-tech public assets in eastern India. The new RBI facility is expected to become fully operational following the inauguration, providing secure, round-the-clock computational backup for India's financial system.