The Research and Development activities of the Institute are aimed at improving Banking Technology in the country. While addressing the immediate concerns of the Banking Sector, the Research at the Institute is focused towards anticipating the future needs and requirements of the sector and developing technologies to address them. The Focal Areas of Research in the Institute, currently, are: 

                             Financial Networks and Applications 
                             Electronic Payments and Settlement Systems 
                             Security Technologies for the Financial Sector 
                             Technology Based Education, Training and Development 
                             Financial Information Systems and Business Intelligence

IDRBT is also collaborating with Academic Institutions and Research Organisations in India such as the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, University of Hyderabad, and also teaming up with Institutions abroad such as Queensland University of Technology, Australia, for promoting higher education, research and development in Banking Technology in India. 

The Institute is actively involved in the development of various standards and systems for Banking Technology, in coordination with the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks’ Association, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India, and the various high-level committees constituted at the industry and national levels.