ISLAMABAD: India will effectively block the sale of many Chinese internet-connected closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras starting April 1, as a new government certification system is fully implemented and manufacturers without approval are excluded from the market, according to Indian media.

The move is expected to hit major Chinese brands such as Hikvision, Dahua and TP-Link, and marks one of New Delhi’s sharpest technology-security steps against imported surveillance equipment, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday.

The mechanism behind the clampdown is India’s Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) framework for CCTV cameras, introduced under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s March 6, 2024, security notification.

STQC’s published rules say CCTV cameras submitted for certification must be tested and certified against the government’s “Essential Requirement(s) for Security of CCTV.”

Media reports said approval is being denied to several Chinese vendors and to products built around Chinese-origin chipsets or firmware, making their continued sale in India impossible once the deadline takes effect.

The policy is framed in the official rules as a cybersecurity and supply-chain security measure rather than a nationality-based ban. But its commercial effect is unmistakable: companies that cannot secure certification will be excluded from one of the world’s largest surveillance markets.

According to India Today, the new rules make STQC approval mandatory for internet-connected CCTV products from April 1, effectively blocking Chinese camera giants from selling such devices in India.

The Economic Times said Indian brands now control more than 80% of the domestic CCTV market as of February, with local manufacturers and non-Chinese supply chains gaining ground as Chinese firms lose access.

Articles tagged with "Trade Barriers"

India’s new security rules shut Chinese CCTV brands out of market