Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Odisha on Sunday to inaugurate the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) state-of-the-art ₹169-crore Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute at Info Valley-II in Jatni, near Bhubaneswar.
Modi landed at Biju Patnaik International Airport around 4:15 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft, where he was warmly received by dignitaries. He then traveled by helicopter to Khurda before proceeding by road to the RBI facility.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to spend about an hour at the centre and return to the airport by road before taking off at approximately 6:30 pm.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also arrived separately in Bhubaneswar to attend the inauguration.
In light of the high-profile visit, the district administration and police have put elaborate security measures in place, deploying around 2,100 police personnel alongside traffic restrictions from 5:40 pm to 6:40 pm along the route connecting the RBI facility to the airport.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier welcomed the development, stating that the facility marks a crucial milestone in Odisha’s growth story.
The Jatni complex represents the RBI’s second dedicated data centre in the country, following its initial facility in Navi Mumbai. Spanning 18.55 acres, the project’s foundation stone was originally laid on March 22, 2023, by former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. The new Tier IV certified facility is designed to enhance the resilience, scalability, and security of India’s digital payment and settlement systems. Alongside the data infrastructure, the Cybersecurity Training Institute will serve as a specialised hub for capability building and research, focusing on frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing for the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector.
This trip marks the Prime Minister’s first visit to Odisha since attending an event four months ago to mark two years of the state’s BJP government.
