Stunned by the sophistication and the scale of the Mumbai attacks, private companies -- especially luxury hotels, offshore oil exploration firms and shopping malls -- are now scrambling for enhanced security cover to protect their establishments from such strikes.
Realising the urgent need for revamping the security set-up, an increasing number of private companies across the country are now roping in international risk assessment firms to advise them on bolstering security.
An official of the London-headquartered Control Risks, which advises companies on security issues related to their businesses, said the company was flooded with requests from private sector firms to asses the risk factor to their establishments.
"We are getting lots of requests from shopping malls, retail chains and hospitality industry for risk assessment of their establishments," country manager of Control Risk in India, Steven Wilford, said.
The security apprehension of the India Inc is well evident with leading real estate company DLF deciding to raise its own private security force to "ensure full-proof security" in various locations of the company.
"We are starting our own private security force to ensure a full-proof security," said a DLF spokesperson declining to divulge further details on its security plan.
An official of a luxury hotel in Delhi said they are also "ramping up the security set-up" and increasing deployment of private security personnel in the wake of the deadly attacks.
In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the demand for private security has grown manifold as more private companies are looking for terror protection.
"The demands for private security are coming in large numbers and it will grow significantly in the coming months," said Col Jagat Trikha, executive director of Central Association of Private Security Industry which is an umbrella organisation of private security firms.
The Central Industrial Security Force provides security cover to the public sector undertakings, while the private sector mainly rely on private security agencies.
Trikha said the 6.5 million-strong workforce of private security guards could play an important role in the security system. "For that to happen, the government will have to develop a proper mechanism," he said.
He said a delegation of the agency had met the then Union home minister Shivraj Patil in September and requested him to allow a greater role for private security guards.
He also called upon the government to allow issuance of bulk license of for fire arms to the private security firms.
According to Assocham, the private security business in the country will become a Rs 50,000-crore (Rs 500 billion) industry in the next four years as corporates have increased their budget on safeguards.
"The Rs 22,000-crore (Rs 220 billion) private security business would go up at least five times in next four years and will touch Rs 50,000 crore volume as security all of a sudden has become the top priority of Indian Inc," it said.
The demand for security equipment has also increased following the attacks as hotels, shopping malls and other companies have started revamping their surveillance systems. Foreign security companies have also started assessing Indian markets for sale of their gadgets.
