Prime Minister Modi to inaugurate RBI data centre in Odisha, his 9th visit to state since BJP formed govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Odisha on October 25, his ninth visit after the BJP formed its first government in the state in June 2024. Four months ago, he had visited Rairangpur, President Droupadi Murmu’s hometown in north Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, to join the celebration of two years of the Mohan Charan Majhi government in the state, along with the President, where development projects worth ₹47,600 crore had been launched. This time, the PM is coming to inaugurate the Reserve Bank of India’s brand-new Greenfield Data Centre and Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute at Info Valley-II in Jatni, Khordha, near Bhubaneswar, on the Kolkata-Chennai National Highway.

Official sources said that, spread over 18.55 acres, the new facility will serve as a secondary backup data centre to the RBI’s primary facility in Navi Mumbai (Kharghar), enhancing national financial data security, currency management, payment and settlement systems, and business continuity. The data centre, costing ₹170 crore, will fulfil the need for cutting-edge facilities for research and capacity building in emerging areas of banking and cybersecurity for the RBI, they said. The foundation stone for this vital project had been laid in March 2023, when Naveen Patnaik’s BJD government was in power, by the then RBI Governor, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, who is now working in the PMO. He belongs to Odisha, but was an IAS officer of the 1980 batch belonging to the Tamil Nadu cadre.

As highlighted by Odisha BJP Vice President Jatin Mohanty, this milestone project marks a massive leap forward in fortifying India’s digital financial architecture. By duplicating core operational capabilities, the Info Valley-II campus will ensure uninterrupted business continuity for critical national financial services, including secure data payments, robust currency management, and high-level research in emerging technological domains. Choosing the Jatni Info Valley-II site was a calculated strategic move; the region boasts a low seismic and geopolitical risk profile, making it an ideal location to safeguard sensitive financial data against unforeseen disruptions. Beyond serving as a data vault, the integrated Enterprise Computing and Cybersecurity Training Institute will play a monumental role in grooming the next generation of technical experts to combat evolving cyber threats, cementing India’s status as a powerhouse in financial resilience and sovereign data security.

Prime Minister Modi will reach Bhubaneswar at 4 pm on October 25. His programme at the inauguration site will last for one hour. After that, he will leave for Delhi, sources said. Till now, he has visited Odisha eight times, starting with his attendance at the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his council on June 12, 2024, in Bhubaneswar, along with other BJP Chief Ministers and central ministers.