As per the latest regulations that will come into effect from April 1, 2026, the Government of India has refused to certify the Chinese companies who were selling the internet-connected CCTVs and other video surveillance devices in India. The Chinese companies include Hikvision, Dahua, and TP-Link. These companies will be barred from selling CCTVs in India as they do not meet the regulatory standards and other mandatory norms to sell the products in the country under the updated rules.
Many industry experts claimed that the Government of India is exclusively refusing to certify and acknowledge the sale of those products which are manufactured by the Chinese companies. Thus, the companies using the Chinese chipsets(a collection of integrated circuits designed to perform a specific task in a computer system) are shutting down their business in the Indian market, industry experts asserted. Until previous year, Chinese brands cumulatively accounted for one-third of all the CCTV sales in India. However, the latest regulation could drastically reduce this share of the Chinese companies.
As per the new rules issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeiTY) the companies which sell internet-connected CCTV cameras in the country have to meet strict Essential Requirements(ER) norms. Accordingly, the manufacturers without fail have to declare the country of origin for the key components used in the process of manufacturing. This includes components like System-on-Chip(SoC), which is an integrated circuit that packs all the essential components of a computer on a single chip.
Apart from declaring the country of origin the companies should also pass the tests related to STQC accreditation which is Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification. As per the STQC test, the labs will check for credibility and ensure that there are no vulnerabilities in the video surveillance devices. The tests will ensure that there are no loopholes that will allow for unauthorized remote access. Because, such a faultline will be a national security concern. As Chinese CCTV manufacturing firms fail to meet these protocols and standards, they will be barred from the Indian market from April 1, 2026.
An opportunity for indigenous manufacturers
The denial for the Chinese manufacturers will indeed give an opportunity to the indigenous firms to enhance their share in the market and consolidate their footprint in the supply chain of the video surveillance devices. Currently, the majority of the video surveillance market is encompassed by the Chinese firms. However, as per the latest regulations, Indian firms can gain an opportunity not just in the domestic market but also a platform to consolidate India’s position in the global supply chain.
Domestic video surveillance brands such as CP Plus, Qubo, Prama, Matrix, and Sparsh will gain greater access in the domestic CCTV and other video surveillance device market. These companies import chip sets from Taiwan and also rely on other domestic or localised sources of firmwares or softwares. As of February 2026, the domestic companies encompass 80 per cent of the market and are set to further expand under the latest regulations. If Chinese companies have to survive in the Indian market under the latest rules, they have to merge or establish a joint venture with the Indian companies and rectify their supply chain. The updated protocols thus, will give a competitive advantage to the Indian companies.
