Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's new Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, marking a significant enhancement to India's digital financial infrastructure. The event was attended by Odisha Governor Brajmohan Ram, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, and other dignitaries.
The PM's address framed the inauguration within the broader context of India's transformed governance approach, focused on balanced regional development and extending benefits to the last citizen. He contrasted the current era with pre-2014 India, where he stated that 'phone banking' for a select few in Delhi led to massive NPAs, while half the population was excluded from formal banking. The speech extensively detailed the achievements in financial inclusion over the past decade, anchored by the opening of approximately 59-60 crore Jan Dhan accounts, which enabled direct benefit transfers ensuring "when one rupee leaves Delhi, the entire one rupee reaches the bank account of every beneficiary."
Specific program outcomes were highlighted: 13 crore first-time entrepreneurs through the Mudra Yojana, loans to lakhs of street vendors via PM SVANidhi, banking linkages for lakhs of skilled craftspersons under PM Vishwakarma, and assistance worth thousands of crores to self-help groups comprising 10 crore rural women. The expansion of the social security net was detailed with 9 crore people covered under the Atal Pension Yojana (38 lakh in Odisha), while the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana provides ₹2 lakh accident coverage for a ₹20 annual premium, and the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana offers life insurance for less than ₹450 annually. Claims exceeding ₹25,000 crore have been disbursed under these insurance schemes to date.
The strategic importance of the new facilities was emphasized. The Data Centre is critical for making banking more efficient and dependable, requiring robust digital infrastructure. The Cybersecurity Training Institute was presented as a vital national security imperative to protect India's strengthening economy and banking system from evolving cyber threats, cyber criminals, and cyber terrorists, which cannot be countered with outdated systems or training.
The inauguration was also positioned as part of a fresh priority to develop eastern India as a powerful growth engine. Following the formation of the 'double-engine government' in Odisha, the state's economy is being fortified by technology alongside its mineral-based industries, with efforts underway to foster a new ecosystem for semiconductors and electronics, aiming to script a future 'from mines to microchips.' New investment prospects in data centres and advanced computing were highlighted as opening numerous avenues for Odisha's youth.