Each year, Secutech India draws thousands of visitors who come to benefit from its platform for networking and education. The 2017 edition of the show had close to 6,500 net square meters of booths in two main sections: Commercial Security and Fire & Safety. The three-day fair was held from April 6 to 8, 2017 at the Bo
Each year, Secutech India draws thousands of visitors who come to benefit from its platform for networking and education. The 2017 edition of the show had close to 6,500 net square meters of booths in two main sections: Commercial Security and Fire & Safety. The three-day fair was held from April 6 to 8, 2017 at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai, and was jointly organized by Asian Business Exhibition and Conferences (ABEC) and Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media.
A total of 690 exhibitors from key companies in the security and fire & safety fields took part in the exhibition, which was a massive increase of 256 percent, compared to 194 exhibitors taking part in the previous edition. Among the main exhibitors in the security section were Dahua Technology, GVD, Godrej, Hikvision Digital Technology, Infinova and Uniview Technologies, whereas Hilti, Nitin Fire and New Age were among the prominent ones in the fire section.
Among the topics covered in the different panel discussions of the show's security conclave, great prominence was given to India's “Smart Cities Mission,” initiated by the Government of India, whose mission is to develop 100 smart cities all over the country. Panelists debated on emerging trends for smart city projects, how to overcome the challenges of implementing these projects and how to create self-sustaining communities.
Prominence of Chinese manufacturers
The front row of the show had large booths from four major exhibitors: Dahua, Hikvision, Infinova and Uniview. “Judging from the investment and the size of our presence here, you can tell how important Secutech India is to us. We have a team of 70 to 80 staff here to take care of the booth. This is an amazing show,” said Ashish Dhakan, MD and CEO, Prama Hikvision India.
This year Hikvision showcased a full line of access control products for smart city, building, smart home and other segments. “The show is essential for us to introduce new products to the market, such as our new panoramic view camera. The smart and safe city sector is growing very fast in India, and I can say it will be a game changer in the coming one or two years. We are optimistic to have big business in the near future. In terms of the future development of the Indian market, judging from what I observed from China's development of safe city projects, if India is going in the same direction the market will for sure grow extensively,” said Dhakan.
Many of the exhibitors we spoke to shared similar views. “For the coming year, I foresee that the government, enterprise and critical infrastructure sectors will move very fast. There is a trend for this sectors to move into converged solutions — combining surveillance and other technologies like fire alarms and access control together. I feel now that India has become a mature market, people are no longer hesitant to invest in IP and are taking a step forward,” said Amit Sarkar, Country Manager for Milestone Systems.
“We are strong in intelligent transportation systems and enterprise sectors, and expanding more in SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] countries. We continue to explore the banking, retail and government sectors. Currently we are working with OEMs to offer a complete solution for the market. This show is a platform for us to meet all our customers, distributors and our community to help grow the business,” he added.
Arun Khazanchi, CEO of Videonetics, voiced a similar view, “We s t a r ted a s an Indian company, primarily for opportunities in India. The market here is growing faster than Western markets. In the coming two years, safe cities will drive the security industry forward; video-based traffic solutions and video analytics will be in demand,” he said.
The smart city initiatives and the government sector are the main drivers of the Indian security market. India is well positioned to take advantage of these initiatives as it has a growing middle class and a large technologysavvy workforce. However, the process is not always smooth.
The government process is slow vis-à-vis expectations, and there is a lot of red tape and many hurdles to go through before smart city projects can be rolled out. However, the government's aspirations are large and there is a great deal of confidence among entrepreneurs and businesses in the country's growth.
Fire and safety India — a fast growing and important part of the show
Held concurrently with Secutech India is “Fire and Safety India.” This year's fire show brought together two leading industry associations, Fire Protection Association of India (FPAI) and the Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI), to support the show and promote advanced technologies and solutions for the fire protection and safety industries in India. The local industry is facing several challenges, among them the lack of binding standards and building codes. This was one of the recurring topics in the panel discussions held during the Fire and Safety Conclave which debated the different needs India has to meet before it can elevate its level of fire protection.
“The objective of this platform is to bring the best in-class products — not just in the fire & safety segments, but also in the security side through Secutech India. We also have a delegation of 50 professionals who will be visiting the fair over the three days and discuss various issues pertinent to their fields at the sessions lined up during the fair. Government reports show that there is a 70 percent deficiency in fire services. The idea is to bring the sector together on this platform and bridge this gap,” said Shri MV Deshmukh, President of India's National Association of Fire Officers.
Secutech India is positioning itself as a leading expo for security and fire & safety in one of the world's largest markets. Next year's edition is bound to be even bigger and better.