Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology

At a glance

Set up by RBI or at its instance, not owned by RBI

Short name: IDRBT
Legal form: Society established by RBI (not a company and not RBI-owned)
Headquarters: Hyderabad
Established: 1996
Employees: No official figure found in the sources checked
Official site: www.idrbt.ac.in

Roles

Research, training and advisory work on banking technology
Certifying authority for digital certificates in banking
Built INFINET, SFMS and the National Financial Switch before handing them on

What it does

The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology works on research, training and advisory services in banking technology. IDRBT was established by RBI in March 1996 as a society under the Societies Registration Act.^{1Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. About IDRBT. As of 1 January 2025.} IDRBT has worked from its premises at Castle Hills, Masab Tank, Hyderabad since 1 July 1996.^{2Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. Milestones 1994-1998. As of 1 January 2025.} IDRBT is the certifying authority for digital certificates in the Indian banking and financial sector under the IT Act, 2000.^{1Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. About IDRBT. As of 1 January 2025.}

What it built

Much of India’s interbank infrastructure began at IDRBT and was later handed to operators. IDRBT launched INFINET, a closed user group network for banks, in June 1999; it now runs on MPLS.^{1Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. About IDRBT. As of 1 January 2025.} SFMS, a secure financial messaging platform, was launched on 14 December 2001 and is used by NEFT, RTGS and delivery-versus-payment settlement of government securities.^{1Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. About IDRBT. As of 1 January 2025.} NPCI took over operation of the National Financial Switch from IDRBT with effect from 14 December 2009, under an RBI authorisation.^{3National Payments Corporation of India. Takeover of NFS by NPCI from IDRBT (NPCI/NFS/OC No.1). As of 18 December 2009.} IDRBT transferred INFINET, SFMS, the RTGS and NEFT systems and its banking community cloud to its subsidiary IFTAS in February 2015; IFTAS was transferred to RBI in 2019.^{1Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. About IDRBT. As of 1 January 2025.}

A registered society

Earlier drafts of this site gave it university status. Its own description is of a society registered under the Societies Registration Act.

Connections

RBI: RBI established IDRBT in March 1996 as a registered society.¹
IFTAS: IDRBT transferred these systems to its subsidiary IFTAS in February 2015; IFTAS moved to RBI in 2019.¹
NPCI: NPCI took over NFS operations from IDRBT with effect from 14 December 2009.³

Sources

About IDRBT. Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. Primary source, accessed 29 September 2026. Supports: IDRBT was established by RBI in March 1996 as a society under the Societies Registration Act (as of 1 January 2025); IDRBT is the certifying authority for digital certificates in the Indian banking and financial sector under the IT Act, 2000 (as of 1 January 2025); IDRBT launched INFINET, a closed user group network for banks, in June 1999; it now runs on MPLS (as of 1 January 2025); SFMS, a secure financial messaging platform, was launched on 14 December 2001 and is used by NEFT, RTGS and delivery-versus-payment settlement of government securities (as of 1 January 2025); IDRBT transferred INFINET, SFMS, the RTGS and NEFT systems and its banking community cloud to its subsidiary IFTAS in February 2015; IFTAS was transferred to RBI in 2019 (as of 1 January 2025).

Milestones 1994-1998. Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology. Primary source, accessed 29 September 2026. Supports: IDRBT has worked from its premises at Castle Hills, Masab Tank, Hyderabad since 1 July 1996 (as of 1 January 2025).

Takeover of NFS by NPCI from IDRBT (NPCI/NFS/OC No.1). National Payments Corporation of India. Primary source, accessed 29 September 2026. Supports: NPCI took over operation of the National Financial Switch from IDRBT with effect from 14 December 2009, under an RBI authorisation (as of 18 December 2009).