The Hindu Business Line : Industry demand places private security guards in new roles

Be it a villager or an influential politician, no one can bypass a security guard. Known for long as ‘watchmen’, these guards today are taking on jobs conventionally handled by others.

Instances include monitoring crowds at airports, providing security in courts, fire fighting, dog squad, bodyguards (formerly handled by police officers and other government departments), assessing internal and external threats to physical assets, developing policies and physical safeguards to counter threats (earlier done by corporates whose premises needed guarding) and emergency response and ambulance services (typically offered by hospitals).

Increasingly, private security guards are also handling jobs like background investigations, drug testing, pre-employment screening techniques, adjudication of results, granting security clearances and other information access privileges.

‘Not enough police’

This is because “there are simply not enough policemen,” says Capt. Shibu Isaac, Chairman, Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Chapter. He is also the Managing Director of Force 1 Guarding Services Pvt Ltd, which has supplied over 6,000 guards to the security industry.

There are about 25 lakh policemen in India while double that number of private security guards man industries and residences. About 25 lakh more private security guards will be added in the next 5-6 years, with 90 per cent of demand coming from industries, Capt. Isaac says.

The manned security industry, worth at least about Rs 4,500 crore, is growing at close to 20 per cent annually. This includes demand for women guards. Any company with a male-to-female ratio of 5:2 needs a woman guard, he says. Woman guards form a “minuscule part” of the industry and Force 1 has 200 lady professionals on its rolls.

Salary up

In keeping with this demand, salaries of security guards have grown over the years. Some years ago a guard would earn Rs 1,800-Rs 2,000 a month. Now he earns over Rs 5,000 and is entitled to get bonus, PF and other perks on par with any other industry.

Mr Rahul Rai, Director of Globe Group, a 45-year-old company that has delivered about 2.35 lakh security guards to the industry since its inception, says salaries have doubled in the last two years with the opening of malls and retail outlets in the country.

Demand has also put pressure on companies to train and deploy personnel at very short notice. It requires about 21 days to train a candidate and companies in recent times have wanted guards deployed at their premises in a week. “When we are rushed to deliver, it is difficult to judge the ability of guards. This is dangerous for the companies,” says Capt. Isaac.

Quality, training

Security providers do not have an inventory of spare guards to provide the industry and recruitment depends on demand, almost on a daily basis. “Of the 500-600 people applying to us, we choose only 50-60. These may further be ousted if they do not qualify through our training programmes,” says Mr Ramesh Iyer, Executive Director, TOPS Security Ltd, indicating the quality of manpower required in this profession. The company has over 50,000 security guards on its rolls and adds 5,000 employees every month.

TOPS’ guard qualification criteria includes SSC pass with knowledge of English and height-weight requirements. For specialised jobs such as handling electronic security systems, candidates are required to have basic computer operating skills.

Post selection, candidates undergo a 20-day (160 hours) training programme where they are taught industry-specific skills. Those to be deployed in a reception area are trained in attending phone calls and basic business English. Those chosen to work for malls are trained in public relations to be considerate towards children and families, while those seeking security jobs at manufacturing companies are trained to be “tough and unyielding”, says Mr Iyer.

“We also focus on IQ training to make them alert and curious to observe a scene,” he adds. According to industry sources, a training institute invests about Rs 2,000 a month to train a candidate.

Act conditions

Currently TOPS conducts training out of its Mumbai office and plans to set up dedicated training centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. But not everyone can set up a security guard training institute, thanks to the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005.

The Act lays down pre-conditions for training institutes including infrastructure requirements and emphasis on quality manpower. Though this will ensure that no fly-by-night operators survive in the industry, it could also threaten small players with limited finances from running operations.

Of the about 50,000 security providers operating in the industry, only 15-20 are registered with the government. Smaller players may have to outsource their training to larger organisations and some have already started this practice.

The Act also prevents foreign players from entering the Indian market.

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