The Reserve Bank of India's new Cyber Security Training Institute in Bhubaneswar will focus on strengthening the financial sector's ability to tackle emerging digital threats, including those linked to artificial intelligence, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Sunday.
Speaking exclusively to DD India on October 25, Malhotra highlighted the institute's role in building cybersecurity expertise across the banking and financial ecosystem as technologies such as AI, big data analytics, quantum computing and blockchain evolve.
“Cyber security is increasingly becoming important, especially in the wake of AI,” Malhotra said, underlining the need to keep financial institutions equipped to address changing technological risks.
The institute will train not only RBI personnel but also employees of banks and other financial system organisations. According to the governor, the objective is to ensure that professionals remain abreast of the latest technological developments and can apply emerging tools to strengthen their systems.
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Beyond training, the institute will undertake research to improve the security, robustness and efficiency of financial infrastructure. Malhotra said this work would help the central bank stay ahead of emerging challenges and reinforce the resilience of the country's financial systems.
The training institute forms part of RBI's newly inaugurated data centre complex in Bhubaneswar. Malhotra said two-thirds of the premises' land had been allocated to the institute, with the remaining one-third designated for the data centre.
The data centre will support critical RBI applications, including payment systems such as NEFT and RTGS, government banking operations through the e-Kuber platform, and services used by regulated entities. The governor said the facility would improve service reliability, reduce downtime and strengthen operational resilience.
Bhubaneswar was selected partly because it lies in a different seismic zone from RBI's three existing data centres in Maharashtra. Malhotra also cited geographical distance and the availability of local talent as factors behind the choice.
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Together, the facilities are intended to strengthen the technological foundations supporting India's expanding digital financial ecosystem.
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