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 the PSA is expected to take ownership of at their Client location. The front Industry runners understand this and claim their position as “Preferred” service partner to the top pay masters making a win-win strategy for all stake holders, including the Security Guards who is the PoS and UoM as a billed sales BoQ.
Transaction at the “Creamy” layer is carried out by exemplary service delivered by a well trained and qualified ‘Boot on Ground’ who is able to ensure physical security of man – material – information as a Security function, he ensures HSE functions by being aware and proactive in maintaining Hygiene, Safety and Environment preservation functions, and finally he maintains social order and situational wellness through extending humane ‘social policing’ at the client sites. Acting at the guardian angel of the three subject aspects i.e. Man, Material and Information as integral elements, which comprise the localized “Environment” that Security Guard (Estate Officer) is entrusted with to administer, with ownership, responsibility and efficiency; the Client can then rest assured having entrusted his estate to the right PSA. Another limiting factor is most PSA’s reluctance of being “Ahead of the graph proactive and predictive operator” as against being content playing the harried “Crisis or Incident manager”, trying frantically to catch up with the lost actions and opportunities.
The market prefers a proactive, predictive and optimistic outsource service partner operating on a preemptive and preventive service agenda and reciprocates their partnership with high rewards and recognition.
With more and more PSAs adopting an optimistic attitude the Private Security Industry would surely, collectively climb up the market place value ladder in esteem and eminence.
– Commander Satyajit Roy (Retd)
(An employee of CISS)
