IFSEC India 2017: Catalyst to the progress and vision of the security industry

The inaugural ceremony of IFSEC India 2017 took place in the presence of key dignitaries Shri Gopal K Pillai, Chairman, Data Security Council of India & Former Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India; Shri Shiv Charan Yadav, President, Asian Professional Security Association (APSA); Mr. Anil Dhawan, Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM Homeland Security; Commander Deepak Uppal, Director, Pricewaterhouse Coopers ( PwC); Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India and Mr. Pankaj Jain, Group Director, UBM India, amidst an august industry gathering.

This year, the expo saw participation from countries such as UK, USA, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Lithuania, South Africa, Russia and Turkey to name a few, from the commercial security domain.  It is well-supported in its endeavours by associations such as Asian Professional Security Association (APSA), American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) , Electronic Security Association of India (ESAI), Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), along with Assocham as Strategic Partner and PwC as knowledge Partner.

Speaking on the successful 11th edition of the expo, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, “The flourishing economy and rapid growth  in sectors such as airports, construction, energy, ports, telecom, railways, road and retail, coupled with the influx of multinational companies has been the primary driving force for creating demand for the security industry.  The government of India  has also made its intention clear to revamp  the country’s ailing infrastructure by announcing new airports, ports and by building 100 smart cities across the nation. While implementing these schemes, it is necessary that the aspects of ‘safety’ and ‘security’ which is of prime concern in urban areas is incorporated. With the need for robust and updated security technologies to gain momentum with each passing day, UBM India through IFSEC India 2017 showcased the latest know how in the industry and deciphered relevant insights gained in the global security market. It provided an opportunity to its exhibitors and visitors to discover the best solutions to keep their business and clients secure amongst a showcase of innovative products.”

This year, the expo also witnessed the launch of a whitepaper by PwC – knowledge partner for IFSEC India on  ‘Maximising the benefits of a command and control centre ( CCC ) ’ that primarily talks about key challenges in today’s command and control centre ( CCC ) utilisation of the concept of operations and co-locating various command centres for integrated operations.

With the increasing focus on Homeland security in India, IFSEC India, 2017 discussed relevant insights gained in the global security market by conducting a one day conference with the  theme ‘Secure Nation and Safer Environment’ alongside the exhibition. The conference witnessed eminent personalities delivering special address and key note, to name a few -- Shri Gopal K Pillai, Chairman, Data Security Council and Former Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Shiv Charan Mathur, President, APSA and Shri Anil Dhawan, Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM Homeland Security. Some interesting topics that were discussed at the conference are -- Smart Border Management - Comprehensive Strategies for Challenges and Threats to Land Borders, Coastal & Maritime Security Challenges. Sandisk, Videocon and Western Digital were the conference partners this year.

Key take aways from the conference include:

1.      Shri G K Pillai, Chairman, Data Security Council of India and former Home Secretary, Govt of India emphasised the need for policy makers to get more serious about adopting technologies in homeland security due to the growing threats from terrorists and other extremist organisations.

2.      During the first panel discussion on Smart Border Management - Comprehensive Strategies for Challenges and Threats to Land Borders, panelists discussed the need to incorporate new and sophisticated weapons for border patrolling and also to equip our forces in adequate numbers so that they use those equipment without any fear of spoiling them. Also, the equipment should be customized to withstand wide variations in temperature and climatic conditions across different geographies.

3.      Vice Admiral (retd) Anup Singh discussed the threats to Indian coastal and maritime security and the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region which is home to 40% of the world’s trade. He further elaborated on the four potential choke points around this region that could be targeted by enemies to disrupt the world trade.

4.      John Livingstone – Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Johnette Technologies spoke about the need to use drones and other UAVs for securing our borders against illegal trade in drugs and weapons and also infiltration by terrorists.

5.      During the second panel discussion on Role of Drones, UAVs and other Upcoming Technologies in Border Security, panelists discussed the rules and regulations governing the usage of drones in India, the need to regulate the trade in drones, the various frequencies at which they operate, the technologies used in their production and operation and also the key points to be kept in mind before purchasing a drone or a UAV.

The expo had over 300 participating brands which included -- Aditya Infotech, Dahua, eSSL, Globus Infocom, Hanwha Techwin, Hikvision, Mark Electronics, Realtime,Roadpoint, Secureye,Techsmart, Tenda, TVT, Uniview,& Zkteco as Premier Plus partners. Premier partners include -- Advik, Axestrack, Biomax, Delta, Dlink,Face ID, Hifocus, Idemia, Mantra Softech, Orbit, Panasonic, Seagate, Slingshot, Tansa, Timewatch,Unique Electrovision and Western Digital amongst others.

This year, IFSEC India brought back the 2nd edition of IFSEC India Awards. The Electronic Security Industry in India is proliferating and the awards were crafted to specially get the minds behind electronic security in various industry verticals like BFSI, Retail, Manufacturing, Energy, Healthcare, PSUs, IT & ITES and Infrastructure in the limelight. The awards recognised the excellence and innovations of CSOs & Security officers who continuously work behind the scenes to ensure robust security. Ernst and Young were the process advisors and CNBC TV18 the television partners for the IFSEC India Awards 2017. The Presenting Partners for the awards were -- Dahua, Hikvision and Western Digital and the Associate Partner was Videocon.

The winners at the IFSEC India Awards include: