‘The path ahead is complex, but with concerted effort, the future of fire and safety is bright and hopeful.’

As the National President of the Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI), I have witnessed first-hand the turbulence that pervades our industry—shaped by shifting market shares, stringent cost reductions, and a strong bias toward rule compliance over quality performance standards. Our challenges are many, not least the persistence of diverse assumptions in fire engineering solutions, which affect fire authority actions and field-level staff efficacy.

The evolving landscape of fire safety is marked by dramatic economic impacts, where disasters can leave families displaced and businesses devastated. The profession’s response necessitates adherence to a development path that prioritizes fire hazard identification, detection, measurement, and control with an uncompromising commitment to risk management.

Regional disparities accentuate these challenges, with economically underdeveloped areas suffering from poor awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and a deficit in professionalism and skill. Concurrently, there’s an urgency to adopt modern technologies over obsolete ones and a general impatience with the pace of R&D yielding safer, more innovative solutions.

The forecast is promising for the fire protection system market, expected to grow to over USD 109 billion by 2027, embracing advancements like flame detectors, smoke evacuation systems, halon alternatives, and water mist technologies. These user-friendly and eco-compatible innovations are setting new standards in automated fire protection, particularly for unattended high-value asset storage areas.

India’s fire market is responding to the push for safety with the rise of smart buildings and intensified scrutiny following fire incidents. The National Building Code of India 2016—Part 4, ‘Fire and Life Safety’—provides a robust framework for fire prevention and protection. Yet, with fire service as a state responsibility, there’s a discernible lack of uniformity in fire safety legislation across different regions, leading to a patchy safety landscape and exacerbated by urban congestion and insufficient fire station coverage.

Emerging sectors, including high-hazard industries, warehousing, transport, and densely occupied public spaces, are poised for significant growth in fire safety investment. Maharashtra’s recent bill mandating IoT-based fire systems for critical public infrastructures is a testament to the innovation uptake in safety measures.

Developments in standardization, such as the BIS harmonizing with ISO standards and accreditation of testing facilities like UL-JFL, offer a glimmer of hope. Yet, issues persist, including a disconnect between design criteria across international and Indian standards, under-specification of fire-rated cables, and a lack of effective pre-formatted checklists and trained personnel for system performance evaluation.

As an industry influencer, my vision encompasses robust growth supported by enlightened policy-making, innovation, and education. The FSAI’s Fire Suraksha Index (FSI) is a step toward empowering building owners with a tangible safety metric, promoting a broader culture of compliance and safety.

In conclusion, media outlets like IFSJ can play a pivotal role in this paradigm shift, disseminating knowledge, sharing best practices, and fostering a collective commitment to the safety of our communities. The path ahead is complex, but with concerted effort, the future of fire and safety is bright and hopeful.

About the IFSJ Influencer

Ajit Raghavan, with over 30 years in Fire, Security, and Engineering across Asia and the Middle East, has held directorial roles at Tyco and Nohmi Bosai. As National President of the Fire & Security Association of India, he shapes fire safety standards and currently leads Ramcro’s sales in Asia.

This article was originally published in the December 2023 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.