Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to undertake a two-hour visit to Odisha on October 25 to inaugurate the Reserve Bank of India’s Rs 169-crore data centre on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, officials said on Friday.
According to the tentative itinerary shared by the Chief Secretary’s office, the Prime Minister will land at Biju Patnaik International Airport around 4.30 pm in a special Indian Air Force aircraft.
From the airport, he will take a helicopter to Khurda helipad and then proceed by road to the RBI facility at Info Valley-II in Jatni for the inauguration.
He is likely to spend an hour at the data centre and return to Bhubaneswar by road before departing the state around 6.30 pm.
“This will be the PM’s ninth visit to Odisha after formation of the BJP government in the state in 2024,” BJP state vice-president Jatin Mohanty said.
He said the RBI data centre at Jatni will be the second of its kind after Navi Mumbai and will boost Odisha’s digital infrastructure and help the state emerge as a technology and electronics manufacturing destination.
“The PM had earlier allocated semiconductor units for Odisha and is now strengthening the digital footprint in the state,” Mohanty said.
Spread over 18.55 acres, the data centre is designed to strengthen data management, disaster recovery, cyber security and business continuity for core functions like currency management, payment and settlement systems and regulatory operations, an official said.
Foundation stone for the project was laid by then RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on March 22, 2023. The site in Info Valley-II was chosen for its geographical stability, away from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas, reducing exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Chief Secretary Anu Garg have reviewed preparedness for the Prime Minister’s visit. The PM had last visited the state four months ago to attend an event commemorating two years of the Majhi government.
