Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need to safeguard India's financial system against cyber threats, saying modern warfare increasingly extends beyond conventional weapons to attacks on a country's economy.
He said economic strength must be accompanied by measures to protect critical financial infrastructure from digital attacks.
PM Modi made the remarks in a post on X on Sunday, shortly after inaugurating RBI's Rs 169-crore data centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Jatni, near Bhubaneswar.
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He said, “Nowadays, wars are not fought only with weapons. If you want to weaken a country, this can also be done by attacking its economy,” Modi said, underlining the importance of securing India's banking system against cybercriminals and cyberterrorists as the country's economy expands.
The event marks a step towards strengthening the digital infrastructure supporting India's financial system.
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Located on an 18.55-acre site at Info Valley-II, the complex is equipped to meet the RBI's computing needs, with infrastructure built to ensure security, operational resilience and capacity for future expansion, officials said.
It will house the central bank's key payment and settlement platforms, as well as several major RBI technology initiatives.
The infrastructure is expected to support the expansion of digital financial services by improving their reach, operational efficiency and reliability, according to an official statement.
As India's financial ecosystem becomes increasingly dependent on technology-driven transactions, secure and reliable computing infrastructure has emerged as a key requirement for maintaining the continuity of financial services.
The accompanying Cybersecurity Training Institute will provide a dedicated platform for specialised training, research and capability development in cybersecurity and enterprise technology.
The institute is also expected to strengthen expertise across the financial sector as banks and financial institutions face growing technological and cybersecurity challenges.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by then RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023.
According to officials, Jatni was selected for the facility because of its geographical stability. Its location away from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas is expected to reduce exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities.
आजकल युद्ध केवल हथियारों से नहीं लड़े जाते। किसी देश को कमज़ोर करना है तो उसकी economy पर attack करके भी ये किया जा सकता है। और जब भारत, आर्थिक रूप से सशक्त हो रहा है तो हमें अपने banking system को भी cyber लुटेरों, cyber आतंकियों से सुरक्षा देनी है: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 25, 2026
The Jatni facility will be the RBI's second data centre of this kind, following the one in Navi Mumbai, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a social media post.
Majhi described the inauguration as a boost to the state's development ambitions and noted that it was Modi's ninth visit to Odisha since the BJP formed the government in the state in 2024.
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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, Odisha Governor Brajmohan Ram, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida were among those present at the inauguration.
Modi arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft at around 4.15 pm before travelling to the facility.
Authorities deployed approximately 2,100 police personnel for security during the visit. Traffic restrictions were also imposed on the route connecting the data centre with the airport.
With inputs from PTI
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