Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jul 18, 2006 |
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Terrorism Government - Security Industry & Economy - Electronics Sale of security gizmos rises after blasts Shailesh Menon
Mumbai , July 17 The panic triggered by the suburban rail blasts in Mumbai appears to have thrown open new opportunities for the security equipment industry. The Rs 650-crore industry is being flooded with fresh enquiries and orders from leading corporates, hotels and new-generation private banks. The suburban railway has already decided to go in for surveillance systems such as closed-circuit TVs (CCTV) at stations. The Western Railway has already installed CCTV in five stations in Mumbai.
High demand
Major companies making security gadgets and video surveillance systems are expecting a 30-40 per cent growth this fiscal. "The demand has risen sharply post the blasts. We are getting enquiries from major banks and companies for installing surveillance systems on their premises," said Mr Shantanu Chaudhary, COO, Zicom Electronic Security Systems Ltd. Zicom has installed DVR-fitted CCTV systems on the Western Railway (WR), in Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri and Borivili stations. WR is now planning to install surveillance systems at all stations on the Western line.
Surveillance gadgetries
Demand for surveillance gadgetries such as CCTV, video monitoring units and central monitoring systems has shot up by nearly 30 per cent following the blasts. This segment has left behind other security surveillance gadgetries such as audio-video door vigilance systems, burglar alarms and electronic safes in terms of sales. Rajasthan and Gujarat buy the most number of close monitoring units in the country. "The reason being, these two States have several warehouses and storage yards for companies operating from Mumbai and Delhi. We install remote surveillance camera units on their premises which will help them monitor the proceedings from distant places," said Mr Gautam Mehra, COO, Securewatch Technologies. The company is currently implementing a project for the Mumbai Police. Sophisticated models of CCTV units programmed using Internet protocols, and the ones fitted with PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras are also becoming increasingly popular.
Preventing attacks
Experts are of the view that monitoring systems can go a long way in preventing subversive activities and maintaining law and order. "Law enforcers in the UK (having the maximum number of CCTV units installed on public premises) could nab the culprits of London blasts only because of hidden surveillance units. These gadgets can act as a good deterrent as well. If monitored properly, these systems will go a long way to enforce law and order," said Brig S. C. Sharma (Retd), an expert in military telecommunication.
Related Stories: More Stories on : Terrorism | Security | Electronics
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