R.K. Sinha

Patna, Sept. 24: Security and Intelligence Services (SIS), a Patna-registered company, resolves to take its strength of permanent employees from 53,000 to a lakh in two financial years.

Wikipedia describes it as “a security company with the largest manpower in Asia-Pacific with a projected revenue of Rs 2,000 core. The SIS has over 10,000 foreign nationals as its staff”. Industry experts state that SIS’s growth is “phenomenal”.

SIS’s rise is unique. A reporter R.K. Sinha, working in a vernacular daily in the Seventies and earning Rs 230 per month, began it in his rented home. “Today, it is a multinational,” said urban development minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, a BJP veteran.

The company achieved its multinational status through the acquisition of Australian guards and mobile patrol services business for American conglomerate, United Technologies Corp (UTC), on August 2008. It also merged with Chubb Security — Australia’s oldest security company.

Sinha made his foray into the security service in 1974. Talking to The Telegraph, he said: “Working as a social activist I tried to ensure employment to people rather than profit. My thought paid off. SIS’s emergence as the largest (security) firm in Asia Pacific is a testimony to the fact that employment oriented companies earn goodwill.”

In fact, recognising the company’s credential, the Manmohan Singh government engaged it to impart employable skill to 21,500 BPL youths under Swarn Jayanti Gramin Swarozgar Yojna.

What began in R.K. Sinha’s rented house in 1974, now boasts 53,000 permanent employees, 52 branch offices, 11 regional offices and six residential training academies, spread over 25 states across the country. It has more than 2,500 corporate, institutional, industrial and banking clients.

“I feel satisfied. I will pedal a bicycle to gather news, today, I fly to countries for business. I am determined to add 50,000 more employees in our company roll in two years,” Sinha said, adding: “The word retrenchment does not exist in our company’s dictionary.”

The Bihar government is planning to showcase Sinha as “unusual entrepreneur”, sources in the government said.