Page 25 - WAD Beyond Global May 2021

HUMAN RESOURCES
IN PRIVATE SECURITY
SECTOR (INDIA) :

AN INTEGRATED

MODEL FOR

THE FUTURE AHEAD

My Own Story: The Future:
Manpower Security in developing Now amongst all this talk of PSI being on Agreed that even today the chambers of
countries, has always been considered the rise let me tell you my own experience Shangri-La are too far but the road to it has
an unorganized sector & irrespective in this industry. I began my decade plus been laid out. It remains true that people in
of the size of the industry it still remains journey in the PSI after I passed out of the B-schools and colleges may often consider
more or less nascent in the minds of big prestigious Symbiosis Institute with an MBA a career in some area of the Internal FEATURE
money churners. Our country saw an in HR, after dabbling in a corporate career Policing, or the military, but rarely private
Industrial revolution post ‘91 & in the era with a few Indian Majors, a Japanese MNC security. Yet the breadth of opportunities is
that followed Manufacturing, IT-ITES & & a consulting firm I finally decided to join enormous. The key for security is to present
Agri-Dairy industry has been the one my father’s business which was a private itself differently and this is a longstanding
which has contributed maximum to the security company established in 1983 challenge.
nation’s GDP. (www.dssgroup.co.in).
But the biggest achievement of the PSI
The Game Changer: This decision was more on the lines of self- champions & leaders is the fact that today
Services has largely been a game changer sustaining since I had just started off with it is recognised as one of the biggest
when it comes to organizations looking my PhD., and it was tough to manage a employers in the country. The Human
to diversify their interests, let’s take the job and studies together. Being in my own factors which have been brought to play
example of the IT majors who diversified firm gave me some freedom. I expected are the biggest achievements.
into IT based services; for more relevance a smooth ride & since I just saw it as a
let’s take the example of GMR which regular business, I expected the same sort The role of security has not been bypassed
launched “Raxa” in 2005. GMR diversified of respect & work ethics as in a regular albeit it is time for organizations to step up.
into the support services and has been organization. Business is being transformed (using more
gaining ground rapidly by adding both technology, centralising processes etc.)
PSU & Private clients to its ever-growing But I was in for a rude shock when I started and the need is for security to be strategic,
business portfolio. Taking a leaf out of their visiting the clients, firstly they wouldn’t talk there is always a place for security at the
books a few other corporates too have with you as a professional & the second tactical level, but executives don’t invite
ventured into Risk Assessment & Training they came to know about my qualifications tactical people to sit at the high table
services for the Private sector guarding they started questioning my decision to join (think, act, report strategically).
force which has more than 13 Million an industry which apparently as per them
manpower working under its umbrella. didn’t have much of a leverage in terms of Amongst some interesting observations
a professional career. that will engage more people & will allow
The Chairman of Central Association other industries too to take note of PSI is
of Private Security (CAPSI) India, Shri. This made me think on how to change to interpret their work in terms of how it
Kunwar Vikram Singh summarizes that the the perception that people have, I was impacts on the business. I’d like to remind
balance between people in security too small a fish in the sea to cause any the reader that PSI has always operated ‘in
and security technology is debated. Yet ripples but I started slowly focussing on the a context of an expectation of change’ &
a majority of the work undertaken in Human factors involved in this business. the future is all about integrating it with the
Private Security Industry (PSI) is based Training, recruitment & career mobilisation “Human Factor”.
on behavioural analytics; the role of used to be my focus – somewhere I believe
people – although much less commonly professionals across the country were
acknowledged – is rarely far away. But doing the same, and within a few years
CAPSI (India) & its members have taken a buoyed by the Govt. of India’s NSDC we
step in the right direction by representing saw the focus shifting from Highly skilled
the industry in the best possible manner. manpower to unskilled & semi-skilled ones.

Author : (Dr.) Sheetal Nair (PhD., MBA, DBCL)
Trainer | Consultant | Storyteller
www.wad.net | May 2021 23