RBI opens new data centre and cybersecurity training institute in Bhubaneswar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) new Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, to strengthen the country’s digital financial infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities.

The new Data Centre will house critical RBI systems, including the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) platforms, a central bank press statement said.

The Cybersecurity Training Institute will focus on developing expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Speaking at the inauguration, Modi highlighted the importance of secure digital infrastructure in building a resilient banking system. He also emphasised the role of the new facilities in strengthening India’s technological self-reliance and expanding the benefits of economic development across the country.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra reiterated the central bank’s commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity and developing domestic technological capabilities.

The opening of the cybersecurity centre comes amid rising concerns of data theft and hacking led by AI agents globally.

Earlier this month, the Defence Cyber Agency and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team said that AI agents accessed live systems of Indian organisations and read records containing personal data and confidential business information during research and testing. The names of the affected organisations were not disclosed.

Later, State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, reported that a suspected exposure of customer data on the dark web, with nearly 4,000 customer records containing personal information identified during a preliminary analysis.

Last week, vulnerabilities spotted in the decades-old open-source web technology called PHP also created a furore globally as it remained exposed to abuse by malicious hackers.