CREATING PREFERENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS
PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY, INDIA The Indian Private Security Industry operates with over ~21,500 PSARA licensed Agencies clocking Rs. ~1.14 Lakh-Crores as current market size and spread across 36 states and UTs, has a surprisingly miniscule representation in Brand recall by a handful of leading PSAs, dominated mostly by foreign MNCs. There is hardly any strong indigenous brand dominance in India except a few, although there is no match to the global brands. The Indian private security industry having evolved over almost 4 decade therefore has undoubtedly not been able to get their act together at all. This is a burning issue that the Industry needs to address on war footing to realize our stated national mission of creating a $5 Trillion Indian economy where the Service sector contributes a lion’s share with the Private Security Industry being second largest manpower employer. Paradoxically, the big brands are still able to command their terms and price in a market generally perceived to be extremely un-regulated, un-ethical, price cannibalistic and profit mongering. One may therefor derive that the real professional standard Private Security Service transactions are actually confined to probably the top 7-8 industry players who control ~8-10% market share. These companies are highly diversified in service and form and are much Tech savvy who lead more with their advanced lines of businesses than their high visibility manned guarding. It is starkly opposite for the rest of 90-92% of market players who depend on low margin low delight plain vanilla manned guarding as their main stay. The discerning client expects administration of its security, safety, social wellness and environment aspects to be managed through a single window format adhering to the highest levels of compliances and service delivery by their outsourced service provider. These physical activities are intertwined and overlay as a common service domain, which...
CORONAVIRUS: REALITY CHECK
Health, World Affairs / By adityapimple1 When the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19 began in China in December 2019-January 2020 and went on to spread around the world, Governments and Public Health authorities struggled to come to grips with this unknown virus. As the virus spread through Europe next, with Italy and Spain being the worst hit, Italy became the first Country in the World outside of China to announce a stringent lockdown of its citizen. 5 Months on, we have learnt much more about the virus than we did when the pandemic began, with the most reliable date coming out of Europe and the United States which have borne the worst of the pandemic. But what has also come to light are the extremely divergent views on the virus and the means of dealing with it, not dictated by the available scientific information, but by pre-existing biases focusing more on anecdotal instances than on actual numbers and science. The reality of the virus, and the manner in which it is to be dealt with, lies somewhere in the middle, between extreme paranoia or blatant and irresponsible carelessness. To understand Covid-19 virus properly, one needs to look no further than the Bergamo Province in the Lombardy Region of Italy, which was the first to be hit by the virus and resulted into the harrowing and scary images flashed on TV screens around the World showing the enormous humanitarian and economic damage that the virus could cause. An important factor for using this region as the best pool for analysing the virus is because it was the first to be hit, and the behaviour of the virus, for a long period was not stopped by timely and necessary preventive measures like physical distancing or masks till the time the localized lockdown in the...
TIME TO RE-BOOT PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY IN INDIA
“Security is a fundamental need of humanity hence security service is a recession free business. We shall overcome and survive all the tribulations of times”. BACKGROUND In the 70’s when PSI (Private Security Industry) was in its nascent stage, PSAs (Private Security Agencies) could demand mobilization fee to the extent of one month’s cost of service, which was later amortized over a few months. Alternately some agencies insisted and did receive advance payments for their services. However, then the business format was rudimentary and compliances were not stringent. Over these five decades or so, Guarding services have transformed into a recognized Industry, complete with watchdog agency, legislations and regulatory framework, the Private Security Agency (Regulations) Act, 2005, (PSARA). The PSI is mentored by CAPSI (Central Association of Private Security Industry), which functions both ways; like a watchdog and like a representative interphase between the Industry and Governing bodies and the Government. To further the cause of skill development in the PSI under the ages of Skill India movement, the SSSDC was formed to set up NOS (National Occupational Standards) for the PSI and implement Skill training and certifications under the various schemes launched under NSDC. Open data sources indicate that the Indian PSI is today, app. INR 90,000 crores size business operated by 12,848 active PSARA licensed PSAs (Total PSARAs issues is 21,750 out of which 8904 PSARAs have expired), the largest employer in India employing app. 90 lakh security guards which includes 90% in unorganized segment. Globally, Security industry will touch app. $127 billion by 2021. WHAT AILS PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY IN INDIA This industry presently thrives on common minimum demand and supply fulfillment on price and value proposition hence prices are always under immense pressure as low satisfaction level is acceptable to the service takers. This defeats the aspiration and objects of all...
THE NEW NORMAL FOR PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Covid-19 has three potential fallout scenarios by mid 2020 considering the present disaster management protocol in force; ‘low impact’ infecting 12 crore people; ‘medium impact’ infecting 18 crore people and ‘high impact’ infecting 25 crore people; each with commensurate numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. Nationwide lockdown for 21 days, and under certain extension(s), have brought economic activity to a standstill. Recessionary trend can be seen in overall slowdown on consumption (private & institutional), Investments (includes capital, additional funding and availability of working capital, banking sector issues etc) and slackening dynamics of trade & commerce. In recessions caused by trade & commerce slowdown alone resulting in fall in output indicators, there may be expected a ‘V’ shaped recovery (best case- 1 to 2 qtr, i.e. end of 2020.); there could be a case for ‘U’ shaped recovery given debt or financial sector meltdown though Indian domestic economy is well insulated from global trends (optimum case- 2 to 4 qtr. i.e. mid 2021) whereas a ‘L’ shaped recovery would be worst case scenario, well extended, where recession is impacted due to a large number of additional factors. Though, there could be minimum to moderate impact across allsectors however MSMEs will be affected the most and at the earliest.MSMEs are the largest employer in India with ~114 Million employment spread across Trade (36%), Manufacturing (31%) and Other services (33%), which includes Private Security Industry (PSI). The geographical distribution of MSMEs is Rural (49%) and Urban (51%). With a workforce of over 89 lakh personnel managed by over 22,000 PSAs; the PSI is one of the largest employment providing servicewithin MSMEs in the country and one of the largest contributors to corporate and social security taxes (GST, PF, ESI, income tax etc.).This Service being manpower intensive and real time responsiveis extremely sensitive to market dynamics;...
Message from Mr. RN Pimple, Chairman & Management of Central Investigation & Security Services Ltd on CISS completing 35 Years
Message from Mr. RN Pimple, Chairman & Management of Central Investigation & Security Services Ltd on CISS completing 35 Years “CISS pays homage to families of all fellow Indians who have fallen fighting Corona disease”. CISS’s Milestones in Reconstructing India’s Private Security Industry: Making it Attractive Again Year 1985: Creation of CISS Central Investigation and Security Services Ltd popularly known through out India as CISS, came into existence in 1985, when security industry was in initial phase and today it is an oldest and most professionally managed company with a difference. Years 1990s - 2000 CISS emerges most preferred Company CISS built a robust reputation as dependable experts in Total Security Solutions and Loss Prevention. Many clients have retained CISS as their most preferred security solutions partner for upwards of 20-25 years. In fact, one client has preferred CISS for 33 years …...
“It requires collective will to socially distance and isolate when required” CISS Mgt
Mar 2020 and CISS management has again risen to the occasion, this time of beating Covid -19 ; as it has repeatedly done during the past 35 years. This time the young turks join the veterans to the clarion call of CISS “Lets beat Corona” “Let us keep everyone and everything safe & secure – the threat this time is internal” CISS enables the ordinary achieve the extraordinary. Here is a short commentary of what CISS as a Private Security Agency did across the country; as India and Indian Industry and our valuable Clients battle Covid -19. The Western Warriors : Under the able leadership of the Air Force veterans it became the first responders ‘East or west we wash our hands the best” was the call of the hour. The region head positioned sanitisers well before they went off the shelves. The liftmen were given masks and gloves and a bottle of sanitiser as part of our corporate responsibility to the workplace that we share. CISS pasted Covid combatting messages on the lifts; after all a lot of their building houses BPOs. The area and field officers are continuously updating the control cell. Computers have been moved to enable financial transactions ensuring no break-down of services . The veraval office has 100s of unsung heroes who are diligently doing their best. CISS acknowledges and lauds their efforts. The Baroda & Bharuch bouncers protect the nations scarce energy resources. They did some meticulous planning and fully secured what our the nation values most ‘Energy’ . Quick Response teams were quickly mounted after all our industrial hub needs to be protected. The Jodhpur Jodhas rose to the occasion and were the first to deploy CISS fire crew on client fire tenders to spray germicidal chemicals and disinfectants to sanitise the premises entrusted to us....
PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY IN INDIA TODAY RECENT DISRUPTIONS & POST PANDEMIC RENAISSANCE
There erupted spontaneously an enthusiastic applause alongside an agnostic apprehension amongst my august audience at the SCOPE Convention Center, New Delhi during the WICS DeepTech Summit 2019; when I said during my presentation that “Security as a Service” was probably the earliest to turn professional and that it has remained recession free since. Ever since the Hunter Gatherer days there always existed the reciprocal task of self preservation, preservation of their catchment of hunt and preserving their hearth deep inside their primitive caves. There’s been no looking back for the Private Security Industry since, except that those caves are now our modern edifices to be guarded and that the threatening wild life to be distrustful of are now the VUCAs (vulnerabilities, uncertainties, confusions and ambiguities) of modern day living. Covid-19 VUCA is the latest of them. So, how do we respond to such emergencies striking us like a thunder bolt from the deep blue sky. Unsuspecting and naïve human civilization that we are; with all our modern trappings a-la-carte; real, digital, virtual and imaginative, the Covid-19 is really the big monster spewing fire relentlessly this time. Though, the Private Security Sector has had it consistently neck deep historically; whereas if we take a satellite view of it in time and space, we really have our hands full now with the recent disruptions shaking up entire economies and the worsening post pandemic situations we may anticipate. No doubt, over last four decades or so, manned guarding in India has evolved from ‘chowkidari’ to ‘ManTech’ soon morphing to ‘TechMan’ before settling into full the blown TSM (Total Security Management) or Total Security Solution format with the convergence of physical guarding, electronic security & surveillance, cyber security and internal threats as a packaged end-to-end service. Apparently discerning markets too are warming up to TSM or...
The Security Industry’s Role In Containing Coronavirus; Safeguarding Lives and Health of CISS Security Guards.
CISS expresses concern to all its employees, field staff and to the Security Industry in general and particularly to any individual or organization directly impacted by contamination risk of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India today has decided to treat Covid-19 as a "Notified Disaster". This is a big Black Swan event for the world which can snowball into a major global catastrophe if not controlled in time. In India it is beginning to spread, largely imported by travelers from Dubai, Italy and other places of major spread. The human and economic consequences can be grave if not contained. DOMINO EFFECT CAUSED BY A SINGLE VIRUS To site an example what domino effect a single undetected or undeclared case of Covid-19 positive can have is of the Delhi man. Now Noida schools are shut as the Delhi man who tested positive for coronavirus threw a birthday party for his son at a prominent Delhi fivestar. This triggered fears that the son's schoolmates who attended the party could be at risk. As a precautionary measure, the private school where the kids study shut down for the remainder of this week. Further, Air India, which flew the Delhi coronavirus patient from Vienna to India sent out an advisory to the passengers of that flight to come forward and follow the Covid-19 protocol notified by the Union Ministry of Health for prevention of further outbreak. There are many such examples already in India and the number is only multiplying. In Mumbai starting today all malls, theatres, public gyms, swimming pools are advised to shut till March 30th. In Bangalore all malls, weddings and gathering larger than 15 people are advised stopped from today. RISKS FACED BY SECURITY GUARDS Like healthcare staff, Security Guards...
