IFSEC India 2025 signals a structural shift in how India thinks about security

The 18th edition of IFSEC India 2025, organised by Informa Markets in India, opened at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, positioning itself as a mirror to India’s fast-evolving security and surveillance priorities. With security increasingly defined by intelligence, interoperability, and resilience rather than just hardware deployment, this year’s edition reflects a sector in transition.

Spanning AI-driven surveillance, advanced analytics, IoT-led infrastructure, cognitive security platforms, integrated command centres, and fire and life safety technologies, IFSEC India 2025 brings together policy, enforcement, enterprise, and technology under one roof. The scale is its largest yet, over 150 exhibitors, 350+ brands, and an expected 20,000 professionals, under the theme “Shaping Nations, Securing Futures.”

Policy, Policing, and Platforms Converge at the Inaugural Ceremony

The opening ceremony underlined how deeply security is now intertwined with governance, infrastructure, and national digital ambitions. Senior officials from central and state governments, law enforcement, and public sector institutions joined industry leaders to set the tone for three days of discussion and collaboration.

Among the dignitaries were senior representatives from CPWD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Police, NIC Services, state governments, and Informa Markets in India, reflecting the multi-stakeholder nature of India’s security ecosystem.

AI, Cybersecurity, and Quantum Risks Move Centre Stage

Alok Tiwari, MD, NIC Services Incorporated, Ministry of Electronics & IT, highlighted how India’s security challenge is no longer linear.

“As we move towards 2030, AI will no longer be a buzzword but a foundational layer powering intelligent agents, national-scale digital systems, and citizen-facing services… Post Operation Sindoor, attempted hits on government networks have surged nearly seven times.”

He flagged three converging pressure points: escalating cyberattacks on public infrastructure, the rapid scale-up of cloud workloads, and the looming disruption of quantum computing, which could render current encryption models obsolete by 2028.

Cybercrime Economics Outpace Cybersecurity Capacity

Padma Jaiswal, IAS, Secretary, UT of Puducherry, framed the issue in economic terms, calling cybercrime a trillion-dollar global problem while cybersecurity capacity remains fragmented.

She stressed that, as India’s UPI-driven digital economy, 5G adoption, and AI-led governance expand, public-private collaboration and shared security infrastructure will be essential to prevent systemic vulnerabilities.

Her message was clear: predictive and preventive security frameworks are not optional if India aims to reach a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047.

Market Momentum Reflects Structural Demand, Not Cyclical Growth

According to Yogesh Mudras, MD, Informa Markets in India, India’s electronic security market represents a Rs 1 lakh crore opportunity, growing at 14–18% annually, among the fastest globally.

This growth is being driven not by discretionary spending but by structural shifts: urbanisation, smart cities, metro expansion, integrated command centres, industrial automation, and enterprise risk management. IFSEC India’s expanding footprint reflects this long-term demand curve rather than a short-term technology cycle.

From Surveillance to Systems: Technology on Display

The exhibition floor demonstrated how security solutions are moving from siloed deployments to integrated platforms. Leading players such as CP PLUS, PRAMA India, Hikvision, Honeywell, Bosch, and Dahua showcased AI-enabled video analytics, facial and behavioural recognition, drone surveillance, and command-and-control systems.

System integrators and advisory firms highlighted how these tools are increasingly deployed across transport hubs, industrial zones, healthcare facilities, and smart mobility environments, often requiring interoperability across public and private infrastructure.

Corporate Security Reimagined Amid Global Volatility

One of Day 1’s key discussions focused on how geopolitical tensions, climate disruptions, and cyber-physical convergence are reshaping corporate security roles. Security leaders from Accenture, Fortis Healthcare, Capgemini, and others discussed how CSOs must now balance physical, digital, and reputational risk within a single operating model.

This was reinforced by a keynote from Bruce McIndoe, President, McIndoe Risk Advisory, who placed India’s security posture within a broader global context of shifting power centres and conflict zones, stressing the importance of scenario modelling and early-warning systems.

Interoperability and Protocols Take Priority

Speaking exclusively to DQ Channels, Akshay Srivastava, President, ITS India Forum, highlighted a fundamental shift underway.

He noted that security architectures are moving towards 70% virtual and 30% physical, making interoperability and common protocols critical. Platforms like IFSEC, he said, allow industry and government to align on gaps, expectations, and future requirements, something no single stakeholder can do in isolation.

Compliance, Capacity, and the Make-in-India Security Dilemma

Dinesh Kumar Gupta, IPS, Addl CP – Traffic, Delhi Police, spoke candidly about operational realities. While government agencies rely heavily on NIC for cybersecurity, he acknowledged the need to involve private vendors due to scale and expertise constraints, underscoring the hybrid model India is already operating within.

This theme was extended by Alok Tiwari, who raised concerns around the limited availability of Make-in-India SOC tools on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). While global tools dominate the cybersecurity landscape, procurement mandates restrict their use, exposing a capability gap India is actively trying to address through collaborations with IITs, BITS Pilani, and Amrita University.

Beyond an Expo: IFSEC as a Security Policy Marketplace

With panels, live demos, closed-door networking, and the IFSEC India Awards recognising innovation and leadership, the event is positioning itself not just as an exhibition, but as a policy-adjacent marketplace where technology, regulation, and deployment realities intersect.

Day 2’s agenda, covering logistics security, supply chain protection, drone surveillance, and sessions led by RBI, Meta, and STQC–MeitY, signals a continued focus on execution, not just vision.

Conclusion: Security in India Is Becoming Systemic, Not Sectoral

IFSEC India 2025 reflects a broader truth: India’s security challenge is no longer confined to borders, buildings, or bandwidth. It is systemic, cutting across digital infrastructure, public trust, enterprise resilience, and national sovereignty.

As AI, cloud, and cyber risks converge, the security ecosystem must evolve from fragmented solutions to integrated, interoperable platforms. IFSEC India’s growing scale suggests the industry understands this shift. The real test now lies in how quickly insight translates into implementation.

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