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...
