Indian CEOs face a higher risk level compared to their global counterparts, as revealed by the latest World Security Report by Allied Universal and G4S. The report indicates that 71% of corporate security chiefs in India perceive an increased threat of violence against CEOs in the past two years, the highest globally recorded. This concern is mirrored by global institutional investors, with 97% emphasizing the importance of investing in executive protection.
Investors recognize the substantial value senior executives bring to companies, attributing over 30% of a firm’s value to their leadership, strategic decisions, and innovation. Consequently, there is a growing expectation for enhanced protection measures to safeguard these key assets.
G4S India’s Managing Director, Rajeev Sharma, highlighted the escalating worries surrounding the safety of top executives and their families, aligning with customer feedback. As India’s economy expands rapidly and its IPO market remains active, companies are facing increasingly intricate security challenges. To address these evolving risks, firms are optimizing security budgets, leveraging technology, including AI, and embracing remote monitoring and integrated security solutions.
The report surveyed 2,352 chief security officers from medium and large companies across 31 countries, representing a combined annual revenue exceeding $25 trillion. Notably, insights from 58 security chiefs in India and 464 in the broader Asia-Pacific region were included, along with feedback from 200 global institutional investors managing assets exceeding $1 trillion.
Among the risks identified for Indian companies, misinformation and disinformation emerged as significant concerns, with 97% of respondents reporting being targeted by such campaigns in the past year, the highest globally alongside Jordan. Additionally, internal threats are expected to rise, with 43% of Indian security chiefs predicting policy violations as the top internal threat in the coming year, the second-highest rate in the Asia-Pacific region.
To mitigate these risks, Indian security leaders are increasingly turning to AI-based systems. A majority of firms, around 67%, plan to implement AI-powered intrusion detection and perimeter security within the next two years, surpassing global and regional averages. AI-driven video surveillance and analytics, at 62%, and AI-supported threat intelligence and automated incident response, at 47%, are also gaining traction in the security landscape.