Tenon Group
Tenon Group is a leading integrated security, facility management and technology-led services company with a presence across India, the UK, Singapore and Germany. Founded in 1995, the Group has evolved from a professional security services organisation into an integrated services platform spanning guarding, facility management, remote surveillance and technology-enabled solutions. With over 105,000 professionals, more than 3,100 clients and over 570 million square feet under management, Tenon supports businesses across diverse sectors with solutions focused on operational resilience, safety and continuity.
India's security and facility management landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation as businesses increasingly seek integrated, technology-enabled solutions for safety, resilience and operational continuity. Maj. Manjit Rajain, Founder & Global Chairman, Tenon Group, shares his perspective on the sector's evolution, the opportunities emerging from India's infrastructure growth, Tenon Group's three-decade journey, and how technology and skilled manpower will shape the industry's next phase.
Q1. How do you see the future of India's security and facility management industry?
India's security and facility management industry is moving from being viewed primarily as a support function to becoming an important part of business continuity, risk management and infrastructure operations. The change is being driven by the scale and complexity of the infrastructure being created in the country. Data centres, Global Capability Centres, manufacturing facilities, logistics networks, healthcare infrastructure, technology parks and large commercial developments all require a much more structured approach to security and facility management.
I believe the next phase of the industry will be defined by three shifts. First, there will be a continued movement from fragmented and unorganised service delivery towards organised, professionally managed providers. Second, technology will become deeply embedded in day-to-day operations rather than remaining an additional layer over traditional services. Third, clients will increasingly look for integrated partners who can take responsibility for multiple aspects of their operational environment.
Facility management itself has also evolved considerably. It is no longer limited to housekeeping or basic maintenance. Modern FM combines hard services such as electrical systems, HVAC and engineering with soft services, manpower management, security and technology-enabled monitoring. This evolution is particularly visible in sectors where uninterrupted operations are critical.
I also see significant potential in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. As companies expand their back-office operations and establish new industrial and commercial facilities outside the traditional metropolitan centres, demand for professional security and FM services will expand with them.
Over the coming years, I expect the industry to become more technology-enabled, data-driven and outcome-oriented, with greater emphasis on prevention, resilience, compliance and operational efficiency.
Q2. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges shaping the sector today?
The biggest opportunity is the rapid expansion and formalisation of India's physical and digital infrastructure. The growth of data centres, GCCs, e-commerce and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, IT/ITES and commercial real estate is creating demand for specialised security and facility management capabilities.
At the same time, organisations are becoming more conscious of the cost of disruption. A security incident, infrastructure failure or operational breakdown can have consequences far beyond the immediate problem. This is why businesses are increasingly looking for partners who can identify risks early, maintain operational continuity and use technology to improve visibility.
Another important opportunity is the shift towards integrated service models. Instead of managing security, facility operations, surveillance and technology through multiple disconnected vendors, organisations increasingly prefer a partner that can bring these capabilities together. At Tenon, this is reflected in the way Peregrine Guarding, Tenon FM and Soteria complement one another.
The challenges, however, are equally significant. The industry is still manpower-intensive, and therefore training, retention, productivity and continuous skill development remain critical. The workforce needs to understand not only traditional security practices but also digital tools and technology-enabled operating environments.
Technology adoption is another challenge. Simply installing cameras, sensors or software does not create a smart security or FM operation. The real value comes from integrating technology with trained people, clearly defined processes and effective response mechanisms.
Finally, as the industry becomes more technology-led, data protection, system reliability, cybersecurity and responsible use of analytics will become increasingly important. The winners in this industry will be organisations that can combine people, processes and technology rather than treating them as separate functions.
Q3. What have been the key milestones in Tenon Group's journey since 1995?
When we started in 1995 with Peregrine Guarding, the objective was to build a professional security services organisation based on discipline, reliability and operational excellence. My own experience in the Indian Army and the police had given me a strong understanding of security, preparedness and the importance of processes, and those principles became part of the foundation of the business.
A major milestone came in 2007 with the establishment of Tenon Integrated Facilities Management Services. This was an important transition because it allowed us to move beyond traditional guarding and participate in the broader facilities and infrastructure management ecosystem.
In 2009, we strengthened our capabilities through the acquisition of Rotopower, an electro-mechanical services provider. This helped expand our ability to address the engineering and technical requirements associated with facility management.
The next phase was internationalisation. Through acquisitions including O&G Group and Elite Cleaning Services in the UK, and Frontline Security in Singapore, we expanded our geographical footprint and developed capabilities across international markets. Our UK business has subsequently grown into a full-service FM operation across London, Manchester and other regions, serving sectors including education, healthcare, blue-light services and manufacturing.
Technology became another defining milestone. Soteria was conceptualised and launched as our remote surveillance and monitoring business in 2014. This represented a fundamental shift in how we thought about security from simply deploying manpower to using technology, remote monitoring, analytics and intelligence to improve the effectiveness of security operations.
Today, the Group operates across India, the UK, Singapore and Germany, with more than 105,000 professionals, over 3,100 clients and more than 570 million square feet under management. For me, the most important milestone is not any single acquisition or revenue number. It is the evolution of Tenon from a security company into an integrated services organisation combining security, facilities, technology and operational expertise.
Q4. What will drive Tenon's next phase of growth towards its â¹5,000 crore vision?
Our â¹5,000 crore vision is not based on one business or one geography. It is built around a combination of organic growth, geographic expansion, technology integration and sector diversification.
India remains a major growth engine for us. We see significant opportunities in emerging cities and industrial corridors as new manufacturing facilities, logistics infrastructure, data centres, GCCs and commercial developments come up. These environments require increasingly sophisticated security, facility management and risk mitigation capabilities.
International expansion will be another important component. We currently have operations across India, the UK, Singapore and Germany, while evaluating opportunities in markets such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Our approach is to enter markets where our operating capabilities and technology-led service model can create meaningful value rather than pursuing geographical expansion for its own sake.
The third driver is technology. We are investing in digital transformation, intelligent automation, analytics-led operations and technology-enabled service delivery. Through Soteria, for example, we are building capabilities around intelligent surveillance, digital intelligence and centralised command-centre operations.
The fourth driver is our integrated model. Peregrine brings security and protection capabilities, Tenon FM brings facilities and operational continuity, and Soteria brings technology and intelligence. Individually these are strong businesses; together they allow us to address a much larger part of the client's operational ecosystem.
We are also focused on sectors that are expected to grow significantly over the next decade data centres, GCCs, e-commerce and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, IT/ITES, BFSI and commercial infrastructure.
Our ambition is therefore not simply to become larger. It is to build a more scalable, technology-enabled and globally competitive organisation while maintaining the operational discipline and service quality on which Tenon was built.
Q5. How is technology transforming the future of security and facility management?
Technology is fundamentally changing the role of security and facility management. The industry is moving from reactive service delivery towards real-time visibility, intelligence and increasingly predictive operations.
In security, traditional guarding remains important, but it is now being supported by tools such as intelligent surveillance, video analytics, remote monitoring, digital reporting and centralised command centres. Through Soteria, Tenon has developed capabilities around 24x7x365 remote monitoring and intelligent surveillance, using digital intelligence and analytics to improve visibility and response.
The objective is not to replace people with technology. It is to make people more effective. A trained security professional supported by real-time information, alerts and analytics can respond much faster and make better decisions than someone working without that information.
We are also seeing the emergence of robotics and automation. Tenon has been working with robotic security solutions in Singapore, where robotics are integrated with human security personnel. This is an example of how the future will increasingly combine human judgement with technology-enabled capabilities.
Facility management is undergoing a similar transformation. IoT, smart automation, data-driven intelligence and digital monitoring can help organisations understand how buildings and assets are performing, identify inefficiencies and improve maintenance and resource utilisation.
However, technology by itself is not the answer. The real transformation happens when technology, people and processes work together. The future security professional or facility manager will need to be comfortable with digital systems, data and technology while retaining strong judgement and operational discipline.
Ultimately, the value of technology is measured by outcomes better visibility, faster response, reduced risk, greater efficiency and uninterrupted business operations.
Q6. What role can the sector play in India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and infrastructure growth story?
Security and facility management are fundamental to the functioning of infrastructure. Every factory, data centre, hospital, logistics facility, office, technology park or commercial development requires a secure and efficiently managed environment to operate productively.
As India invests in manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, digital infrastructure and new economic centres, the security and FM industry has an important enabling role. Our responsibility is to ensure that these assets remain safe, operational and resilient.
The sector also has a significant employment and skilling role. Security and facility management are people-intensive industries, and their growth creates opportunities for large numbers of workers across different parts of the country. The next step is to make this workforce increasingly skilled, professionally trained and digitally capable.
For an Indian-origin organisation like Tenon, Aatmanirbhar Bharat is also about building capabilities that can compete globally. We have taken Indian operational expertise and developed it across markets such as the UK, Singapore and Germany. At the same time, international exposure allows us to bring global processes, technologies and operating practices back into our Indian operations.
I believe the industry can contribute to India's infrastructure ambitions by becoming more organised, professional and technology-enabled. If we can combine trained manpower with intelligent technology and strong operating processes, we can help businesses protect their assets, reduce operational risks and maintain continuity.
The larger objective should be to create an ecosystem where infrastructure does not merely get built, but is protected, maintained and operated efficiently throughout its lifecycle. That is where security and facility management can make a meaningful contribution to India's growth story.
