US Consul General, Tamil Nadu IT minister Open OSAC India’s Annual General Meeting in Chennai to Foster Public-Private Security Cooperation

BENGALURU: US Consul General Chennai Chris Hodges and Tamil Nadu Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan hosted the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) India Annual General Meeting on October 24 in Chennai with the aim of fostering cooperation among US Government and US private-sector security professionals across India.

OSAC is a public-private partnership between the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and security professionals from US organizations operating abroad. Together, OSAC members share timely security information and maintain strong bonds for the protection of US. interests overseas.

The US Consulate General Chennai and diplomatic and corporate security personnel across India used the conference to collaborate with US and Indian private sector partners on trainings, consultations, events, alerts, and analysis.

Diplomatic Security Regional Security Officer Scott Schonauer from US Consulate General Chennai said, “As security specialists and partners, we aim to build trust through networks with Indian private sector counterparts that model gender equity, and better anticipate security issues, including identifying and tracking threats.”

Tamil Nadu IT Minister Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said, “I am happy this historic event is taking place in Chennai. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) are in the DNA of Tamil Nadu. It is good to see OSAC too is following the same. The scale of today’s event is reflective of US-India relationship – commercially and strategically. In this era of targeted threats, we need to stay advanced and keep learning everyday to keep ourselves safe. OSAC is a great model of private-public partnership.”

Diplomatic Security Senior Regional Security Officer Christopher Gillis from US Embassy New Delhi said, “Today’s conference is an important reinforcement of connectivity between the  US Government and private sector to ensure a safer operating environment.”

OSAC India – Chennai Chapter Private co-chair John Paul Manickam said, “OSAC Country Chapters in India promote best practices and collaboration among security professionals of US organizations operating in the country.”

About OSAC Chennai Chapter: The OSAC India Chennai Chapter, co-chaired by RSO Schonauer and John Paul Manickam is one of the oldest OSAC chapters in India.

About OSAC India – Bengaluru Chapter: The OSAC India Bengaluru Chapter is co-chaired by RSO Schonauer and Dell Technologies Anubhav Mishra, Regional Security Lead for the Security & Resiliency Organization, and has one of the largest membership networks in India.