RBI's Odisha Data Haven: Shielding Finance from Threats

The Reserve Bank of India has inaugurated a new high-security data centre in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This facility is strategically situated away from potential cross-border threats and high seismic-risk areas, bolstering the security of critical financial infrastructure. The greenfield campus is designed to house essential computing systems that support the RBI's currency management, payment systems, and regulatory data functions. Its location offers a strategic advantage by being distant from India's western and northern borders and outside the country's most vulnerable seismic zones. This move enhances the safety and continuity framework for systems underpinning national finance.

The RBI's selection of Odisha also considers its insulation from concentrated cyber risks and network vulnerabilities, as it is not a landing point for major subsea communication cables like Mumbai or Chennai. This initiative aligns with a global trend where central banks prioritize data safety, operational control, and systemic resilience by operating their own secured data centres. Such facilities are viewed as critical national infrastructure, essential for guarding against cyberattacks and ensuring operational stability. India's RBI is developing a secure, sovereign platform akin to the US Federal Reserve's secured facilities, incorporating layered physical and cyber safeguards for uninterrupted functioning of core financial systems. The Odisha facility has achieved Tier IV certification for its design, signifying compliance with the highest reliability and performance standards.