Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) newly established Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s financial infrastructure and cybersecurity preparedness.
The Prime Minister congratulated the RBI and the teams involved in establishing the facilities, describing them as important institutions for Odisha and the country. He said the inauguration reflected India’s evolving governance model, which prioritises development, balanced regional growth and improved delivery of public services.
Focus on Digital Banking and Financial Inclusion
Highlighting the transformation of India’s banking sector, Modi said digital banking has expanded access to financial services across the country. He noted that nearly 60 crore Jan Dhan accounts have helped bring millions of previously unbanked citizens into the formal financial system and enabled government benefits to reach beneficiaries directly.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the role of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PM SVANidhi and PM Vishwakarma in extending formal credit to small entrepreneurs, street vendors and traditional artisans. He said around 13 crore people had become first-time entrepreneurs under the Mudra scheme, while Self-Help Groups representing 10 crore rural women had received substantial bank assistance.
He also pointed to the expansion of social security schemes, including the Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, which have widened access to pension and insurance coverage among lower-income households.
Cybersecurity Infrastructure to Strengthen Banking
Modi said the previous decade focused on bringing the unbanked population into the banking system, while the coming decade would concentrate on making banking services more efficient, secure and reliable.
Against the backdrop of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, he stressed the need to protect India’s financial system from cybercriminals and other digital security risks. The newly established RBI Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute are expected to support stronger computing infrastructure and the development of specialised cybersecurity capabilities within the banking ecosystem.
The Prime Minister emphasised that modern financial infrastructure requires advanced technology, updated training facilities and skilled professionals to safeguard the country’s expanding digital banking network.
Odisha Emerging as a Technology and Investment Hub
The Prime Minister also highlighted Eastern India’s growing role in the development of a Viksit Bharat. He said Odisha was diversifying beyond its traditional mineral-based industries and building an emerging ecosystem spanning semiconductors, electronics, data centres and advanced computing.
Describing this transition as a shift “from mines to microchips”, Modi expressed confidence that the expansion of technology-driven industries would create new investment opportunities and employment prospects for Odisha’s youth.
The inauguration of the RBI’s new facilities adds to Bhubaneswar’s institutional and technology infrastructure, reinforcing the state’s ambitions to participate more actively in India’s digital and advanced-technology economy.
