PM Modi in Varanasi, Bhubaneswar: IAF Air Force Day display, RBI Data Centre inauguration
Synopsis
PM Modi's 25 October double-header captures two distinct national priorities in one day: a tri-services aerial showcase over the Ganga marking the IAF's 94th anniversary, and the launch of one of the world's largest Tier IV-certified financial data centres — signalling both defence jointness and the Centre's push to future-proof India's digital payments backbone.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi is visiting Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on 25 October 2026 .
He will inaugurate a new garment manufacturing facility in Varanasi at around 11 am .
Modi will attend the Air Force Day Aerial Display-2026 at Namo Ghat, Varanasi as Chief Guest, marking the IAF's 94th anniversary under the theme 'Wings over Ganges' .
Aircraft including the Tejas , LCH Prachand , SU-30MKI , and Rafale will feature; Indian Navy and Army aircraft will also participate.
In Bhubaneswar , Modi will inaugurate the RBI Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute , certified to Uptime Institute Tier IV standard.
The RBI facility hosts four data centres for mission-critical Payment and Settlement systems and is among the largest Tier IV certified BFSI facilities globally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on Sunday, 25 October, with a packed agenda spanning a garment manufacturing inauguration, the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Force Day aerial display at Namo Ghat in Varanasi, and the launch of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar.
Varanasi: Garment Facility and IAF Aerial Display
Modi's Uttar Pradesh leg begins at around 11 am with the inauguration of a new garment manufacturing facility in Varanasi. According to an official statement, the facility is intended to strengthen India's textile and apparel manufacturing ecosystem and accelerate industrial growth in the region. Officials have described the project as emblematic of Uttar Pradesh's rising profile as a destination for manufacturing-led investment.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will attend the Air Force Day Aerial Display-2026 at Namo Ghat as Chief Guest, marking the 94th anniversary of the Indian Air Force. The event is being held under the theme 'Wings over Ganges'. The display will feature frontline platforms including the Tejas light combat aircraft, the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, the SU-30MKI, and the Rafale, alongside transport aircraft. Notably, aircraft from the Indian Navy and the Indian Army will also participate, underscoring the tri-services' emphasis on joint operational capability.
Bhubaneswar: RBI's Tier IV Data Centre
From Varanasi, Modi will travel to Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where he will inaugurate the RBI's new Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute. According to an official statement, the facility has been engineered to meet the central bank's computing requirements and deliver a secure, resilient, scalable, and future-ready digital ecosystem.
The centre houses four state-of-the-art data centres that will host mission-critical Payment and Settlement systems along with other flagship financial initiatives. The facility has been certified to the Uptime Institute Tier IV standard — the global benchmark for data centre infrastructure — placing it among the highest-resilience installations in the world. It is also reported to be among the largest Tier IV certified facilities in the global BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector.
Why the RBI Facility Matters
India's digital payments ecosystem — anchored by UPI, RTGS, and NEFT — processes hundreds of millions of transactions daily, making the resilience of the underlying infrastructure a matter of systemic financial security. The new facility is designed to serve as the secure digital backbone for India's increasingly technology-driven financial economy, according to the official statement. This comes amid growing global focus on cyber threats targeting central bank and financial sector infrastructure.
Broader Context
The twin inaugurations reflect a pattern in Modi's recent visits: pairing industrial and defence milestones in a single itinerary to signal both economic ambition and strategic readiness. The choice of Varanasi — Modi's own parliamentary constituency — for the Air Force Day display is also significant, elevating the event's political and cultural visibility along the banks of the Ganga. The Bhubaneswar data centre, meanwhile, signals the Centre's intent to deepen financial infrastructure investment in eastern India following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s strengthened footprint in Odisha.
Point of View
Amplifying the event's reach well beyond a routine IAF anniversary. The RBI Tier IV data centre in Bhubaneswar is the more substantive story: India's UPI-led payments explosion has created systemic concentration risk, and a Tier IV-certified backbone is long overdue. What the official statements do not address is governance — who audits uptime, who bears liability in a breach, and whether the Cybersecurity Training Institute has a mandate that extends to the wider BFSI sector or remains an RBI-internal resource. Those details will determine whether this is genuinely transformative infrastructure or a well-certified building.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the IAF Air Force Day 2026 aerial display being held?
The Air Force Day Aerial Display-2026 is being held at Namo Ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on 25 October 2026, marking the 94th anniversary of the Indian Air Force under the theme 'Wings over Ganges'. PM Modi will attend as Chief Guest.
Which aircraft will feature in the IAF aerial display at Varanasi?
The display will feature the Tejas light combat aircraft, the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, the SU-30MKI, and the Rafale, along with transport aircraft. Aircraft from the Indian Navy and Indian Army will also participate to showcase tri-services jointness.
What is the RBI Data Centre being inaugurated in Bhubaneswar?
It is a new Reserve Bank of India facility in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, comprising four state-of-the-art data centres that will host mission-critical Payment and Settlement systems. The facility is certified to Uptime Institute Tier IV standard and is among the largest such certified facilities in the global BFSI sector.
Why is the RBI's Tier IV Data Centre significant for India?
The Tier IV certification represents the highest global benchmark for data centre resilience, ensuring the RBI's payment infrastructure can withstand failures without service disruption. As India's digital payments volume grows rapidly, a secure and scalable backbone is critical to financial system stability.
What else is PM Modi inaugurating during his Varanasi visit?
Ahead of the Air Force Day display, PM Modi will inaugurate a new garment manufacturing facility in Varanasi at around 11 am on 25 October. The facility is aimed at strengthening India's textile and apparel manufacturing ecosystem and boosting industrial investment in Uttar Pradesh.
