RBI Lays Out 2026-27 Agenda With e-Kuber 3.0 and AI-Driven Systems

The Reserve Bank of India has set out an ambitious agenda for the 2026-27 financial year that leans heavily on technology modernisation and institutional reform. The central bank plans to launch a next-generation core banking system, e-Kuber 3.0, alongside a new alternative payment system and a unified enterprise platform, and to build an AI-driven ecosystem to enhance its central-banking operations. It also intends to review the RBI Act, a foundational step that could reshape aspects of its mandate and functioning. On the international front, the RBI said it will support India's leadership role within BRICS finance discussions and explore currency-swap frameworks with neighbouring SAARC nations, part of a broader push toward greater use of the rupee in cross-border trade and settlement. The technology overhaul is aimed at strengthening the resilience, speed and security of the systems that underpin India's payments and banking infrastructure, which has become one of the world's busiest. Officials framed the plan as balancing innovation with stability, continuing efforts to deepen financial inclusion and digital payments while safeguarding the system against operational and cyber risks as transaction volumes keep climbing.