RBI to take on Google, Microsoft with its first-ever cloud platform: Report

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to launch an affordable, local cloud data storage pilot programme in 2025, for financial firms, Reuters reported, citing two sources. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative by a major central bank.

India's cloud services market was estimated to be at $8.3 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow up to $24.2 billion by 2028. But it is largely dominated by foreign players. The RBI's new initiative will use local IT companies and compete with global providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, it added.

“We want to start implementing on a smaller scale in the next few months,” said one source, identified only as a senior executive working on the project.

Livemint could not independently verify the report.

Project Details: We Do Know So Far?

According to the sources, the RBI's research department, known as the Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS), will steer the initial work. It will later be developed in partnership with one or more private tech companies.

According to the source, the pilot will be expanded in phases over the next few years and will cater to the budgets of smaller banks and financial services companies. EY has been appointed as an advisor to the project.

The second source told the news agency that the project's funding is set to come from the RBI's $2.72 billion asset development fund, with later-stage equity funds to be invited.

The report added that the cost of the project could not be determined, and no details have yet been officially confirmed. Further, the RBI did not respond to queries.

Data Localisation Key

Notably, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had in December 2023 said that the central bank intends to set up a public cloud for the financial services industry.

The move is being viewed as a “push for localisation of payments and financial data”, as per the report. It said that as per a procurement document published on the IFTAS website in October, the RBI has only invited incorporated Indian companies with prior cloud solutions experience to bid for the project.

“We have a humongous amount of interest (from private players who want to partner). A significant number of IT companies, as well as Indian cloud services companies, have expressed their interest,” the source added.

($1 = 84.4240 Indian rupees)

(With inputs from Reuters)