RBI's New Bhubaneswar Data Centre to Power India's Payment Backbone
FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates RBI's new data centre in Bhubaneswar to strengthen RTGS, NEFT, and India's digital payment security.
In a major move to fortify the nation's financial arteries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) state-of-the-art Data Centre and Cyber Security Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who attended the event, emphasized that this new facility is designed to significantly bolster India's domestic infrastructure capacity for critical payment systems.
Strengthening the Heart of Digital Payments
The new campus is not just a building but a strategic asset aimed at supporting mission-critical systems that keep the Indian economy moving. Specifically, the data centre will enhance the capacity and reliability of the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) systems, which are essential for both large-value corporate transfers and retail fund movements across the banking network.
Finance Minister Sitharaman noted that this facility aligns with the government's broader vision to build robust domestic infrastructure. She recalled that the government granted "infrastructure status" to data centres in 2022 and announced a tax holiday in the Union Budget 2026-27 for foreign companies providing global cloud services through Indian data centres.
A Fortress Against Cyber Threats
With the rise of digital banking, the threat of cyber-attacks has become a primary concern. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra stressed that security is the bedrock of public trust in the financial system, stating, "Any system that is not secure cannot earn public trust."
According to Governor Malhotra, the new facility will enhance the resilience and security of the central bank's critical systems. He detailed that the RBI has already put comprehensive frameworks in place to manage:
- IT governance and cyber resilience.
- Outsourcing and third-party risks.
- Digital payment security.
The Governor also highlighted the integration of advanced technology into the RBI's operations, including the use of supervisory technology tools and data analytics to detect financial risks at an early stage.
Upskilling for the Future: AI and Cloud Computing
Beyond data storage and security, the Bhubaneswar campus houses a Cyber Security Training Institute. This wing is dedicated to developing specialized skills among RBI officials and professionals across the wider financial sector. The training will focus on cutting-edge fields such as:
- Cybersecurity and Data Science.
- Cloud Computing.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Governor Malhotra added that while the RBI is encouraging the adoption of AI, it is doing so under a strict philosophy of accountability, fairness, and explainability.
The UPI Phenomenon
The inauguration served as a backdrop for the Finance Minister to highlight the staggering growth of India's digital payment landscape. She pointed out that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has evolved into the world's largest real-time payment system.
The scale of growth is immense: since 2016-17, the annual volume of UPI transactions has grown approximately 13,000 times. Currently, the system handles over 2,400 crore transactions per month, averaging nearly 80 crore transactions every single day.