Odisha has approved a ₹176.83 crore disaster recovery data center in Keonjhar, advancing the state’s efforts to protect critical government digital services against infrastructure failures, cyberattacks and natural disasters. The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, cleared the Odisha State Data Centre (OSDC) on Tuesday, with the facility planned for the south campus of Dharanidhar University in Keonjhar district. The project will establish a geographically separate recovery site for the state’s primary data centre in Bhubaneswar, creating an additional layer of protection for essential public-sector systems. The investment also highlights the growing importance of digital resilience as governments expand their reliance on connected services, centralised information systems and technology-enabled administration.

Keonjhar Facility to Strengthen Government Data Resilience

The new disaster recovery-cum-data center will operate as an independent backup and recovery facility, designed to restore essential digital services when the primary site experiences a major disruption. Its infrastructure will include independent power supply, cooling systems, connectivity and computing resources, allowing recovery operations without complete dependence on Bhubaneswar’s facilities. The project will also incorporate storage infrastructure, backup systems, networking and cybersecurity arrangements to support continuity during technical failures and other emergencies. These capabilities will give the state a separate operational environment for recovering critical workloads, protecting government information and limiting the consequences of a disruption at its principal data centre.

Odisha plans to incorporate secure data replication, centralised monitoring and cyber-recovery arrangements into the Keonjhar facility, extending protection beyond conventional backup storage. These measures will support the transfer and restoration of critical information while helping administrators monitor recovery readiness across the two locations. Additionally, the state will conduct periodic disaster-recovery drills to test system preparedness and verify that teams can restore data when required. Regular exercises will help identify weaknesses in recovery procedures, assess operational readiness and determine whether the facility can meet the government’s approved recovery requirements during a disruption.

₹176.83 Crore Budget Splits Capital and Operating Costs

The project carries a total estimated cost of ₹176.83 crore, comprising ₹154 crore in capital expenditure and ₹22.83 crore in operational expenditure over five years. The Fifth State Finance Commission grant-in-aid will contribute ₹162.83 crore toward the project, providing the largest share of its funding. The Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) will meet the remaining expenditure through the State Data Centre maintenance budget of the Electronics and Information Technology Department. This funding structure covers both the initial infrastructure investment and the operating requirements associated with maintaining a dedicated disaster recovery facility over its first five years.

Krystal Integrated Services Limited has secured the project after emerging as the lowest bidder in the tender process. The implementation period will run for nine months, establishing a defined timeline for bringing the new facility online. Once the centre goes live, the company will provide five years of operation and maintenance support. Meanwhile, the state’s focus will extend beyond commissioning the infrastructure to ensuring that the facility remains operationally ready, with functioning backup systems and tested recovery procedures throughout the support period.

Odisha Targets Approved Recovery Time and Data Objectives

Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the facility will enable the restoration of identified government services within their approved recovery time objective and recovery point objective. She told mediapersons that the project will provide an independent recovery facility for critical government digital services, strengthening the state’s preparedness during disruptions. Recovery time objectives define how quickly services should resume after an incident, while recovery point objectives establish the acceptable limit for data loss measured in time. Meeting these benchmarks will be central to determining whether the Keonjhar center can deliver the resilience that the state expects from its investment.

Odisha’s project therefore represents more than an additional data storage location; it creates a separate recovery environment for essential digital operations. Its effectiveness will depend on reliable infrastructure, secure replication, regular testing and the ability to restore services within approved limits. The combination of dedicated funding, a defined implementation schedule and five years of operational support provides a framework for establishing that capability. As government services become increasingly dependent on digital infrastructure, the Keonjhar centre will play an important role in protecting service continuity when the state’s primary systems face disruption.