Pankaj Jain, Sr. Group Director & Digital Head, Informa Markets in India
IFSEC India is a pioneer in its domain and the biggest electronics security expo held in South Asia since 2007
The 17th edition of IFSEC India Expo is at hand. Please share some key highlights.
Informa Markets in India annually organises IFSEC India (www.ifsec.events/india), South Asia’s largest electronic security show, since 2007. This year it is scheduled to be held during 12-14 December 2024 in Halls 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 at ITPO, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. As part of the world’s leading portfolio of security and fire safety events, IFSEC India is South Asia’s pre-eminent authority on security products and solutions. The parent company to IFSEC India Expo, Informa Markets in India, is the Indian subsidiary of the UK-based and listed, live media company, Informa plc. As an Indian entity, we provide diverse industries in the country with B2B platforms, enabling trade.
Over 300 brands will be exhibiting 5000+ products representing 20+ countries. IFSEC India showcases cutting edge products and solutions such as video surveillance, biometrics & RFID, access control, AI, IoT, Safe Cities, information security, GPS systems, video analytics, and intelligent building systems. This year the event is poised to host 14,000+ industry buyers and decision makers from among government and PSUs, CSOs, solution integrators and key end-user community in the security domain.
We like to thank our premier plus partners – Adiance, CP Plus, Godrej, Hikvision, Hi Focus, Prama, Realtime, Samriddhi Automation (Sparsh), Timewatch, TP Link, Trueview, Velvu and ZKTeco; our premier partners – A1 Fence, B-Cam, Bioroles, eSSL, Fyber, HiXecure, Hope Security, Marx, Mas-Tel, Maxemus, Seagate, Viewvision, Voltaic Cables and Western Digital; and other key partners such as Alba Urmet, Alagtec, Optex, Panasonic, Perto, Syrotech, Toshiba and many more.
The expo is supported by industry association bodies such as ASIS (American Society for Industrial Security) New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad Chapters, CAPSI (Central Association of Private Security Industry), ESAI (Electronic Security Association of India), OSAC (Overseas Security Advisory Council), New Delhi and Chennai Chapters, IISSM (International Institute of Security and Safety Management), GACS (Global Association for Corporate Services), and Knowledge Partner – Mitkat Advisory.
What are the top trends in security from an industry perspective?
In recent years, the Indian government has initiated a wide range of vital infrastructure projects including new airports, seaports, highway development projects, urban rail systems, and the continued expansion of smart city technologies across the country. These developments, coupled with advancements in the use of Internet of Things, advanced manufacturing systems, and smart technologies across industries, are primary drivers for demand in the security sector.
End users of safety and security products and services in India include airports, mass transportation system operators, government agencies, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, military and paramilitary forces, emergency and disaster management agencies, private security agencies, manufacturing operations, and commercial and non-commercial enterprises.
Beyond traditional ‘physical security,’ a host of frontiers like AI, cloud computing, IoT, and cybersecurity are being rapidly pioneered by entities big and small in our industry. India Video Surveillance Market size is projected to grow with a CAGR of 16.6% during 2020-26.
By all appearances, the security industry is in a stage of redefining itself. It is moving from mere security and safety protections to encompass a wider scope of activity that will expand safety while also bringing new levels of intelligence and sustainability to communities, companies and societies.
How has security as a domain evolved over the years? Which technologies security professionals are most interested in?
While the incorporation of technologies such as AI, Deep Learning etc. in the security domain goes back to more than a decade; however, the increased focus on terrorism and cyber security threats have accelerated their adoption as part of security strategies of organisations. Security professionals are increasingly getting interested in knowing about the integration of AI as part of video surveillance, access control, perimeter security, and the like. Similarly, we see biometrics, face recognition, iris recognition, vein pattern recognition etc. are getting more advanced and accurate in identifying the right visitor. Such technologies not only make the job of a security officer easier but also help them in focusing on their core requirement, which is ‘zero security incident’ within their organisations.
What new initiatives should we expect to see at IFSEC India Expo 2024?
We are living in an era where digital is gaining prominence over physical and hence this year, we’re redefining IFSEC marketing to go beyond traditional promotion. We have created dynamic campaigns and platforms that empower our exhibitors to spotlight their brands and address critical industry issues. Through these campaigns, IFSEC becomes not just an expo but a thought leadership stage where companies can share insights, innovations, and expertise directly with the community.
AI in Security – #AIinAction – this campaign highlights the transformative role of AI in security, showcasing the latest innovations enhancing threat detection, operational efficiency, and real-time response. We aim to bring forward exhibitors’ success stories, expert perspectives, and cutting-edge tech in AI, positioning them as pioneers in creating smarter, safer environments.
Women leadership in security – #BreakingBarriersInSecurity – despite their growing contributions, women remain significantly underrepresented in top security roles in India. This campaign celebrates the achievements of female leaders in the field and provides a platform for sharing their journeys, insights, and leadership lessons. By amplifying the voices of these trailblazers, we spotlight the immense value of diversity in security and inspire future talent to pursue leadership in the industry.
We introduced our AI-powered ‘IFSEC Market Online’ at last year’s expo. The platform uses machine learning algorithms to connect you to the prospective buyers based on their preferences and interests & pre-schedule meetings with them. It has been designed to provide a year-long engagement between the sellers and buyers that goes beyond the three-day connect at the expo. In addition, there are several additional features that truly enrich your experience while interacting with prospective clients. Through a minimalist investment in this platform, exhibitors stand to benefit from an enhanced connect with their prospective clients, who could be even those who are not able to visit IFSEC India Expo this year. What’s more the platform would enable continued connect with visitors post the expo and enable you to answer their queries at leisure and further reach out to them with more offers.
The IFSEC India team is going all out with on ground activities, inviting people from various cities across India to attend the show. In addition, there are digital campaigns on Google and Meta platforms as well as LinkedIn. There is a dedicated team working to invite key security officers who are influencers in the industry from large industries to visit the show.
As a special attraction we have an exclusive pavilion from UK Defence and Security Exports wherein top security solution providers from the UK will showcase their latest solutions for the South Asian industry.
The two-day conference will provide deeper insights on security strategies followed by Indian industry, the adoption of latest technologies as part of security solutions, travel security, information security, security of digital assets, Safe Cities and the ‘Make in India’ mission.
The 7th edition of IFSEC India Awards, which will be held at Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi on 12th Dec evening, will help security professionals across Indian industry to showcase the work done by their teams in implementing the best of technology within their organisations.
Overall, IFSEC India Expo is the biggest opportunity in entire South Asian region to network among the key security stakeholders in government and the private industry, as well as to learn about the latest in security technologies.
Tell us more about the 7th Edition of IFSEC India Awards this year.
The 7th edition of IFSEC India Awards, which will be held at Hotel Shangri-La on 12th Dec evening, will help security professionals across Indian industry to showcase the work done by their teams in implementing the best of technology within their organisations. It is a unique initiative intended to recognize security officers who implement path-breaking solutions across various industry verticals. To give you an idea of the scale of the awards, we received 228 nominations in the previous edition in 2023 and aim to surpass this number for this year’s Awards. The final jury meet to deliberate on the various categories will be held in the first week of December to identify the winners wherein valuable inputs will be assimilated from key influencers and veterans in the security fraternity. Ernst & Young (E&Y) are the process advisors for these awards and winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony in the evening on 12th December 2024 at the Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi.
