India’s private security industry has quietly grown into a mammoth force — valued at over ₹1.5 lakh crore and employing more than 8.9 million guards, this unregulated sector now outnumbers the combined strength of India’s police and paramilitary forces. In this eye-opening episode of Facts & Figures, we delve deep into how this parallel security ecosystem is expanding at a staggering pace of 20% per year, filling the vacuum left by an understaffed and overburdened police force. But behind this booming industry lies a dark truth — poor wages, abuse, lack of medical insurance, and zero legal protection for the guards who often work 12-hour shifts for just ₹8,000–15,000 a month. Who are these guards? Mostly illiterate migrant laborers from remote villages, trained inadequately, monitored poorly, and in many cases — not at all. Some even have criminal records, political backing, or both.