The Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) hosted the National Physical Security Summit 2024 on August 30, 2024 at the Telangana State Police Integrated Command and Control Centre in Banjara Hills. The HCSC conducted the event in collaboration with the Association of Private Security Agencies (APSA) led by its dynamic President Sh. Bhaskar Reddy and the theme of the event was- The Evolutionary Aspects of Physical Security in the Digital Era.
The summit’s theme ‘Evolutionary aspects of physical security in the digital era’, aims to raise awareness among citizens about the significance of physical security and its role in creating a safe and secure society. The event brought together influential leaders, experts, and advocates from various fields to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by digitisation.
Experts from various sectors including corporate security, law enforcement and educational institutions shared their insights to promote a culture of security awareness among citizens and explore innovative solutions to address evolving security threats.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka inaugurated the summit and state Minister for IT and Industries D Sridhar Babu, Hyderabad Police Commissioner and HCSC Chairman K Sreenivasa Reddy were amongst the dignitaries who attended the summit.
The summit was held at Telangana State Police Integrated Command and Control Centre and brought together experts and advocates to foster dialogue and drive positive change in creating safer environments.
Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the government will review the Private Security Agencies Act. “A society can be truly safe only when all its citizens take the onus to be conscious of their surroundings and be vigilant towards aspects related to our safety and security. The summit will help enhance the citizens’ consciousness towards safety and security,” said the deputy chief minister.
The current growth of Hyderabad and the increasing urbanisation of Telangana necessitates the need for foolproof physical security and technology will play a key role in it. The private security sector plays a major role in physical security which is depicted by the fact that about 4,00,000 private security personnel operate in Telangana.
“These numbers are higher than the number of permanent government employees in Telangana,” Vikramarka remarked, adding that approximately 1500 security agencies are functional in Telangana which only 500 agencies are licensed while others are in the process of getting it.
The deputy chief minister said, “In a regulated method, the agencies which have been providing security service to various organisations, it will be instrumental for them to provide job security through full-time and part-time jobs under the government’s skilling and placement programmes.”
The ongoing summit would review the above mentioned opportunities. The deputy chief minister asked government officials to prepare an action plan for achieving employment and enhanced safety and security in the city. The government will ponder upon the issues raised during the physical security summit and the implementation of recommended actions.
The Telangana government will also review the pending wage scale issue of the security guards in the state. “It is highly concerning that the wages paid to their guards by some agencies are lower than the recommended minimum scale,” Vikramarka said. The government will take measures to ensure that the wages are par with the best minimum wages across India. He urged the attendees to carry forward the learning from the summit to ensure the safety of Telangana.
“Today, the role of private security has become increasingly important and the sector is currently undergoing a transformation to effectively tackle the challenges of this digital age. The summit will bring together leaders, experts and advocates to foster dialogue on creating safer environments,” Commissioner Sreenivasa Reddy said.
The summit attracted knowledgeable speakers and a good gathering of security practitioners. Kunwar Vikram Singh, Chairman of CAPSI, while addressing the gathering said there are 10 million security guards in India. “We are the largest private security force in the world,” he said. “However, there is still a shortfall of 30% guards, while the industry has been expanding at a rate of 22% each year,” he added. He emphasised on the importance of standards which need to be created for the security services delivery to its clients.
The Physical Security Summit 2024 featured a series of panel discussions that delved into the rapidly changing landscape of physical security, it said. Today, the role of private security has become increasingly demanding and their services in society are inescapable.
The first panel discussion of the event was on Changing Face of Physical Security : Opportunities & Impediments. The discussion was moderated by Mr GB Singh,
Publisher and Editor of SECURITY TODAY magazine. This panel discussed the state of the physical security industry globally and locally. The speakers included Shri Mahesh Bhagwat, IPS; Mr. Vishwanath Katti, KASA (Mentor); Capt. Suraj Shankhpal, Sr. VP Corporate Security, Wells Fargo and Capt. Sanjay Sharma, Global Security Head, Wipro. The discussion delved around the rapidly evolving aspects demanding that the private sector evolve fast to partner with the government in making the society secure and resilient.
Mr. Bhagwat spoke about the rapid changes in security threats and the challenges faced by the police in maintaining physical security, and how the force was adapting to these challenges. He also spoke about the role of private security firms in supporting law enforcement efforts and how collaboration between the law enforcement and private sector be improved to enhance public safety. He also spoke about the increase in cyber crime incidents and how the role of the police was changing from “Cycle Patrol to Cyber Patrol.”
Capt. Sanjay Sharma spoke of how Information Technology has been an ever expanding and one of the fastest evolving sectors, and how the security threats have been evolving across the domain. He also spoke about how his organisation had adapted to the integration of technology in traditional guarding services to strike a balance between manned guarding and technology.
Capt. Suraj Shankhpal spoke about the opportunities that he saw for physical security in the financial world. He said banks and financial Institutions have been under threat since times immemorial, however in the past couple of decades in addition to the traditional threats the risk of financial frauds has escalated, so there is an immediate need to address this new risk and to keep pace with other evolving security threats.
Mr. Vishwanath Katti spoke about the role the private guarding companies can play in partnering with government efforts to enhance public security
A Fire Chat involving Mr Venkat Changavalli and Dr CR Naidu, IPS (Retd) was next on the agenda. The talk emphasised on the increasing need for enhanced leadership among citizens towards ensuring a safe and secure society through various actions to be undertaken by the citizens as their fundamental duties.
The second panel discussion of the event was on Security Concerns & Best Practices for a safe society. Citizens Forum (Lt Gen K R Rao (Retd) PVSM, AVSM, VSM moderated the citizens forum discussion. The panel comprising Mr Surya Bhagavanulu, Aparna Kanopy
(Airports Authority of India) who deliberated on best practices in RWAs; Rear Admiral KS Venugopal, VSM on best practices in Corporate & Manufacturing Sectors; Mr K Sivaramakrishna, Vice Chancellor (Retd) Gitam University on best practices being implemented in Educational sector and Ms Rashmi Perumal, DCP North Zone to highlight the best practices being advocated by the Police Dept.
This panel discussion covered a wide range of topics towards safety at Residential Areas / Govt & Corporate offices / Shops & Business Establishments / Factories & Manufacturing Industries / Hospitals / Hotel Industry / Schools & Educational Institutes).
The final panel discussion of the day was on Synergising the Safety & Security through better functional integration of the Pvt Security Agencies with the Police & the Govt. bodies Shri Bharani Aroll, Advisor HCSC was the moderator of the discussion which had Lt Col KS Rao (Retd), Jt Secy HCSC and Secy APSA Dr Gangadhar, Labour Commissioner Shri T Giri Raju, DSP, CSW Shri Tausef Iquabal, IG, ISW as the panellists.
Experts from various sectors, including corporate security, law enforcement, and educational institutions, shared their insights on the challenges and opportunities in adapting to these changes. The discussions emphasised the need for the private sector to evolve quickly in partnership with the government to ensure a resilient and secure society.
In this regard, private security, with a presence of almost four lakh security guards across Telangana, plays a vital role and it needs to be an integral element of the overall security mechanism of the state.
There is an urgent need to engage citizens in the safety and security concerns of our society in a proactive manner, fostering leadership and creating a culture of security awareness. A security-conscious society is key to achieving a safe and secure environment for all, and the summit tried to create a launch pad for such initiatives.
The Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) is a not-for-profit society that brings together the Hyderabad City Police Commissionerate, various establishments, government agencies and citizens to promote safety and security in the city.
