As Inspector General (Operations), Major General A K Gupta led National Security Guard (NSG) personnel for more than 60 hours against gunmen holed up inside the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House during the 26/11 counter-terror operations. Now, a year later, he is back at the Taj — as Head of Corporate Security of the Tata Group’s Indian Hotels chain.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Mumbai, Gupta said: “I retired from the NSG in June and joined the Taj Group in August as the pan-India head of security.” He does not say why or how he joined the Taj chain, leaving it to “a decision of the company management.”

“My role here is to control and manage all functions of security. In a fast-changing scenario, hotel security also needs to be upgraded... we have been entrusted the job of providing foolproof security to our guests and staff,” said Gupta, pointing out that company policy did not allow him to discuss his contract.

While the Taj Group has handed over hotel security to Gupta, the NSG too has undergone operational and tactical changes. Major General Satish Bharadwaj has taken over as the new IG (Operations). In the new scheme of things, the counter-terror role is not just confined to the Special Action Group, comprising only Army special forces on deputation, but has been expanded to include the Special Rangers Group, comprising paramilitary commandos earlier confined to Z-category security for VVIPs.

This new mantra mixes commando groups — Army deputationists do not remain segregated from paramilitary commandos or soldiers from policemen as was noticed during the 26/11 operations.