India’s private security industry is one of the largest job providers in the country
Ganga Prasad, a 26-year-old from Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, once dreamed of serving in the Indian Army. But when he aged out of the eligibility criteria, his hopes of wearing the green uniform faded. Instead, he found another uniform—a blue one, branded with the SIS Security logo. Though he couldn’t serve on India’s borders, guarding neighborhoods night and day seemed like the next best option.
For Prasad, this was familiar territory. Several of his relatives worked as security guards in Delhi and Gurugram. The monthly pay of around Rs 20,000 was reasonable, especially with his sisters’ marriages on the horizon. So, when Security and Intelligence Services (SIS) held a recruitment drive in his area, Prasad applied without hesitation.
Now training to join the growing number of young Indians choosing private security jobs over other urban employment options, Prasad patrols India’s urban landscapes—residential towers, corporate offices, and sprawling malls. For these men, private security isn’t a dream career but a stable job with better pay than roles like delivery drivers. “I would take this job over working for Swiggy and Zomato any day. But my future plan is to save money and start a business with my brother back in my village,” said a security guard stationed at an ICICI Bank in central Delhi.
Booming Demand, Steady Supply
India’s private security industry is one of the largest job providers in the country. Over 23,000 private security agencies are registered under the government’s Private Security Agency Licensing Portal (PSARA). The sector employed around 7 million people in 2013, according to a National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) report, and that number has now grown to over 12 million. The market size was projected at ₹1.5 lakh crore in 2022, with the organized sector growing by 20% annually. Though organized companies make up only 20% of the industry, they contribute 80% of its revenue.
Manish Sabharwal, founder of the recruitment platform TeamLease, notes the role of private security in India’s evolving job market. “Security is turning out to be one of the most important sectors for facilitating the transition from farm to non-farm jobs. India’s transition is happening in customer service, sales, logistics, and security.”
The demand for guards continues to rise in India’s expanding tier-1 and tier-2 cities, where the police-to-population ratio is low. Most guards come from states like Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, where large security agencies maintain recruitment branches. This reflects a larger trend in India’s middle-class: turning to private solutions like gated communities and private security in response to gaps in public infrastructure.
No Easy Path
However, the private security sector isn’t often seen as aspirational, with little prestige or growth opportunities for the average recruit. Even Ganga Prasad doesn’t view his guard role as a long-term plan. “I’m preparing for a police constable post,” he says.
A report by NSDC-KPMG describes security guard jobs as a “last resort” for urban individuals and a temporary option for rural workers during poor agricultural seasons. While the sector generates jobs, it’s not widely celebrated in the media—a silence that reflects broader concerns about the state’s ability to provide security. One notable public moment occurred in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called himself the country’s “chowkidar” (watchman), while opposition leader Rahul Gandhi countered with the slogan “chowkidar chor hai” (watchman is a thief). Modi mobilized 2.5 million security guards online and spoke about their important role in the country.
Yet the dignity and status of guards remain fragile. Viral videos often show guards being insulted or mistreated, such as a 2022 incident in Noida where a woman yelled at a guard over a parking dispute, or another where a lawyer assaulted a guard, calling him a “Bihari” in a derogatory manner.
Training & Road Ahead
Despite these challenges, aspects of Ganga Prasad’s Army aspirations are being fulfilled through his security guard training. Each day, he endures pull-ups, rope climbs, and crisp salutes. He’s enrolled in a three-week residential boot camp at SIS’s training academy in Delhi’s Najafgarh. Upon completion, he will be deployed as a security guard.
SIS, founded in 1974 by former journalist and Rajya Sabha MP Ravindra Kishore Sinha, now operates 22 such training schools across India. The company, which began by offering jobs to retired soldiers, now employs nearly 3 lakh people, 95% of them security guards. It has a revenue of over ₹11,000 crore, with 374 branches nationwide.
“The job of a security guard is not one of carrying a stick and sitting by a door. It is a skilled job. That is why I opened training schools,” said Sinha. SIS guards undergo rigorous training in areas such as fire safety, CPR, and handling technology like cameras and apps. This helps the company keep pace with technological advancements like drone surveillance and app-controlled gates.
While SIS provides decent pay and benefits like Provident Fund and insurance, much of India’s security sector remains unorganized. Guards in smaller agencies often earn lower wages, work longer hours, and lack job security or benefits. Organized companies like SIS charge clients 15 per cent of a guard’s salary as a management fee, whereas unorganized agencies often take a direct cut from guards’ pay.
SIS also offers a paid graduate training program for managerial positions, allowing recruits to move up the ranks. “The management training program for graduates is excellent and comes with job security and vertical growth,” said Aryan Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch trainee.
Future Prospects
India’s new breed of trained guards is not just about standing watch—they are becoming tech-savvy professionals. Yet, smaller agencies struggle to match the infrastructure and training capabilities of companies like SIS. As the demand for security grows, so does competition, with many small agencies springing up across urban centers.
“Security is an essential service, after all,” said Gaurav Kumar, operations manager at Crest Force, a Delhi-based security agency. His company, established five years ago, employs 500 guards and has seen its turnover rise from ₹5 lakh in its first year to ₹1.5 crore.
“Ours is a recession-free business,” he added confidently. “We were the employment providers during the lockdown, and our business grew even after it. Security is not going away.”
