OSAC, a public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service
The annual general meeting of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) India convened on October 24 to foster stronger security collaboration between the U.S. government and private-sector security professionals across India. The event was inaugurated by U.S. Consul General Chris Hodges and Tamil Nadu Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, as per a press release.
OSAC, a public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, connects U.S.-based organisations operating abroad with diplomatic security expertise. The meeting allowed security officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai and other consulates, alongside corporate security leaders in India, to discuss training, threat analysis, consultations, and event coordination with U.S. and Indian private sector partners.
Scott Schonauer, Diplomatic Security Regional Security Officer from the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, emphasized the importance of collaboration in identifying and mitigating security threats. “As security specialists and partners, we aim to build trust through networks with Indian private sector counterparts that model gender equity and better anticipate security issues, including identifying and tracking threats,” Schonauer said.
Minister Thiaga Rajan noted the event’s alignment with Tamil Nadu’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, values he said were “in the DNA of Tamil Nadu.” He further highlighted the strategic scale of the event as reflective of the deepening U.S.-India relationship. “In this era of targeted threats, we need to stay advanced and keep learning every day to keep ourselves safe. OSAC is a great model of private-public partnership,” he said.
Other speakers included Christopher Gillis, Diplomatic Security Senior Regional Security Officer from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, and John Paul Manickam, OSAC India-Chennai Chapter Private co-chair, both of whom echoed the need for ongoing collaboration and vigilance in addressing emerging security concerns across the region.
