While the Indian real estate industry is growing by leaps and bounds where foreign investment and growth is concerned, the tremendous potential of something as important as fire safety, has not yet been understood yet. Optimists feel that this is changing slowly but surely. M C Muthanna, Chief Operating Officer, Firepro Systems, said, “India is a reasonably domestic consumption driven market. Gradually as awareness is setting in, people are realizing that fire safety actually touches all segments. Builders are moving beyond statutory needs, so also the consumers, who want more safety features”. In any case, the need to protect family and property will never change. So whether the properties concerned, is worth Rs 5,000 or Rs 50,000, there will always be the need and urge to protect it.  Differences in global and Indian practices come to the fore easily. In general, the Indian real estate industry is on par with the developed world, in providing some basic systems. The key difference is the amount of spending. Sophisticated systems like addressable fire detection systems and automatic gas suppression systems are being used in the protection of offices in commercial buildings. But in residential apartments, the spending for installing the life safety equipment is still very low and the equipment used is still basic in design.

Options in fire protection and suppression, in residential as well commercial property, are varied but useful to the core. In commercial property, hydrant and hose reels are used for the entire building premises, while addressable fire alarm systems are used extensively for office space, along with sprinkler systems. For data centre rooms/ control rooms which are manned by people, clean agent gas suppression systems are used. Water cannot be used for fire protection at such premises. So inert gases are used to avoid data loss or damage.

Fire protection and suppression systems in commercial spaces can be installed in retail malls, airports, cinema theatres and multiplexes, auditoriums, convention centres, convenience stores, storage warehouses, hotels and restaurants — thus, preventing loss of life and property to a great extent.