The Times Secure India Summit (TSIS) 2025, conceptualised and curated by IIRIS in partnership with The Times of India Group, was recently held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event marked a milestone in India’s security landscape by uniting the country’s most influential voices across government, defence, corporate, and technology sectors to deliberate on building a stronger and more resilient nation.
A defining inaugural
The summit was inaugurated by Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, who emphasised the indivisible link between prosperity and protection. He declared, “Prosperity without protection is fragile. Security is the bedrock upon which India’s future must rise.” He further expanded the definition of security to encompass India’s vast civilian ecosystem – including security guards, firefighters, and cyber professionals, describing them as the ‘front-line defenders of daily life.’
Core conversations
The summit featured four curated panel discussions, each addressing urgent national priorities:
● National Security Reality Check – Moderated by Capt Gurpawan Singh (Retd.), this session saw Dr. Vikram Singh (Former DGP, UP) warning that “the enemy has entered inside,” while Maj Gen G.D. Bakshi (Retd.) called for pre-emptive measures in the volatile South Asian landscape.
● AI, Cybersecurity & Privacy – Led by Lt Gen Rajesh Pant (Retd.), with experts like Rama Vedashree, Arun Seth, and Abhishek Kumar (CEO, Dievas). The dialogue identified cybercrime as India’s greatest risk, while positioning digital trust and data sovereignty as the nation’s greatest opportunity.
● Fire, Life Safety & Electric Mobility – Moderated by Dr. D.K. Shami – the session highlighted the urgent need for EV-specific fire strategies and evidence-based codes, with insights from Dr. Prabhat Rahangdale, Ananiya Prabhu (Ather Energy), Prashant Nayak (IIRIS), and Sandeep Goel (Proion).
● Reinventing Security Technology – Moderated by Kunal Bhogal (COO, IIRIS), with speakers including Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh, Col Gurdeep Bains (Accenture), Maj Paul Devassy (IIRIS Knowledge), and D.P. Sreenivas (Duranc). The debate underscored self-reliance, indigenous innovation, and sovereign data centres as critical imperatives for India’s security ecosystem.
Recognising excellence and bravery
The evening also witnessed the Secure India Awards 2025, celebrating achievements across Safe & Secure Excellence, Fire Safety Excellence, and Cyber & InfoSec Excellence.
The most moving highlight of the evening was the Bravery Awards. The Peregrine Bravest Security Guard of the Year and Bravest Firefighter of the Year each received INR5 lakhs, with all finalists assured of family health insurance and educational sponsorships for their children. These honours celebrated not just courage in the line of duty, but also long-term support for India’s protectors and their families.
A national benchmark
By bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and frontline defenders, TSIS 2025 set a national benchmark within the security, safety and resilience landscape of the nation.
IIRIS reaffirmed its vision as India’s architect of security transformation. As India strides towards a Surakshit Bharat and Viksit Bharat, the summit underscored the need for deeper research, advanced technologies, and stronger civilian security ecosystems. The dates for the next edition of TSIS will be announced shortly
