India: Your chance to get involved

19 Oct 07

For three days at the end of this month, a vast exhibition hall in New Delhi will bring 130 of the industry's biggest players face-to-face with a captive audience of international delegates. IFSEC, the world’s leading security event, is heading to India.

And it’s perhaps no surprise. With a population of over a billion, the Indian economy is one of the fastest growing on Earth, and its commercial security market is burgeoning by up to 35 per cent every year. The unprecedented growth has political backing, too, and the government has outlined drastic plans to have “everything in India” under surveillance within the next 12 years.

Increasing demand

A recent BSIA report – the largest ever study of the Indian market – found that demand for security products in the country has grown by 21 per cent since 2002. The motorways, “super malls” and office blocks sprouting up across the country are driving demand for everything from IP cameras to smart cards, and IFSEC offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to find valuable business partners in Asia.

“With the economy booming and the manufacturing, IT and services and real estate industry doing extremely well, the demand for security is increasing day by day,” IFSEC India’s project director, Anindya Sarangi, told the Hindustan Times.

Major events in the last few years have helped bring security to the fore in India. First, there was the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 in 1999, and then the devastating Mumbai train bombings in 2006, which left 209 dead. Security spending is at an all-time high, and India is most definitely looking forward.

“There is massive investment currently taking place in India’s infrastructure as the country prepares to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010,” Sarangi said.

Late arrival

Because of its relatively late arrival on the security scene, India seems to have leapfrogged legacy systems altogether and end-users are demanding high-end technology like IP, video analytics and biometrics in equal measure.

“All these new areas will be incorporated into the new event,” said James Blue, event director of IFSEC and IFSEC India.

“Though electronic gadgets and other hi-tech security equipment are extensively used, very few security systems integrators are there in the market, providing solutions to the various security and safety-related issues.”

The country’s installation market also has plenty of room for expansion, with three main contractors taking up just 20 per cent of the work. A shaky and fragmented market supplies the remaining 80 per cent of services, with hundreds of local outfits installing cheap imports from Taiwan, China and Korea.

Surprise hit

Indeed, the country’s unusual approach to installation has made IFSEC India a surprise hit with fire protection and prevention suppliers. An estimated 70 per cent of Indian security installers also deal with fire prevention which, for the visitor, makes the show an ideal place for some cross-market exploration.

Like its British counterpart, IFSEC India will offer visitors the chance to learn from the experts in a series of free seminars. The Indian Chapter of the Asian Professional Security Association (APSA) will also be holding its annual conference at the show, where delegates will be given a detailed overview of modern security practices and a chance to look at current threats.

If that isn’t enough to inspire you, the BSIA’s report found that 60 per cent of the entire Indian security market is currently held by just four international companies. The market is crying out for more competition.

IFSEC India could be your chance to get a foot in the door.

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