Mahindra Special Services Group to advise on Indo-Israeli homeland security market

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) has selected corporate security risk consulting firm Mahindra Special Services Group as its home land security (HLS) partner. This was announced at a press conference at the India-Israel Homeland Security Cooperation forum held in Mumbai.

The appointment of Mahindra Special Services Group will significantly enhance exchange of ideas, expertise and technologies between Israel and India, the company said in a release.

The IEICI has appointed Indo-Israeli business consulting firm BDO-I2I as the representative body for a new initiative between IEICI and the  embassy of Israel in New Delhi and the consulate general of Israel in Mumbai, towards promoting, assisting and guiding Israeli and Indian companies to take active part in the business opportunities which exist in both countries, a company release said.

''Israel and India share a lot in common and have strong bilateral economic ties. India today is Israel's third largest trading partner in Asia and one of the ten most important globally. Israel's HLS industry has initiated and implemented state of the art homeland security solutions, based on doctrine, experience and know how acquired through decades of combating internal security and terror threats. I am confident that with the combined expertise of MSSG and BDO-I2I, Israeli and Indian companies will achieve new heights of success in business cooperation and mutual benefits,'' said  Avi Hefetz, CEO of IEICI.

''Post the tragic 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, we were approached by several corporates in India, seeking advice on security solutions from countries that are considered to have an evolved outlook towards security. As the official HLS partner for IEICI in India, we are now in a position to study Israeli solutions and consult Indian organisations on acquiring the right technologies that match their needs. That said, as a premier consulting firm, we will continue to maintain objectivity as our role would be limited to studying, filtering and recommending the right organisations in conjunction with BDO I2I,'' said Captain Raghu Raman, CEO of Mahindra Special Services Group.

''As part of its role as the HLS partner, MSSG will act as the 'industry advisor' for IEICI's member companies scouting for business opportunities in India. MSSG will guide relevant participating Israeli companies into the Indian market by providing India specific market intelligence. Given their leadership position in India's corporate security and HLS space, MSSG is best suited to advising businesses on some of the world's best Israeli technologies. Leveraging BDO-I2I's vast experience in representing Indo-Israel business opportunities coupled with MSSG's security consulting experience, we are excited about bringing tremendous value to IEICI's members,'' added David Keynan, CEO, BDO-I2I India Business Consulting.

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) was established in 1958 jointly by the Israel government and the private sector as a non-profit organisation. IEICI promotes Israel's industrial exports and exports of services as well as develops trade relations, cooperation and strategic alliances with overseas companies. The 2,600 member companies of IEICI comprise 90 per cent of Israel's industrial exporters.

Mahindra Special Services Group (MSSG), the strategic business unit of the Mahindra Group, is a leading Corporate Security Risk Consulting firm that has helped over 100 organizations derisk their business and enhance competitive advantage. MSSG provides consulting services in information security management, physical security, technical advisory, governance advisory and change management services, respectively.