India Bans Chinese CCTV Sales from April 2026

India's government will bar major Chinese manufacturers from selling internet-connected CCTV cameras in the country starting April 1, 2026, under new security certification rules aimed at mitigating cybersecurity risks. The policy, enforced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, targets companies such as Hikvision, Dahua Technology, and TP-Link, which previously accounted for about one-third of the market.

The restrictions stem from Essential Requirements norms introduced in April 2024, providing a two-year transition period for compliance. All networked surveillance devices must now obtain certification from the government's Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification body, known as STQC. Manufacturers are required to disclose the origins of critical components, including the system-on-chip processors, and submit products for testing on parameters like encryption, firmware security, tamper resistance, and resistance to unauthorized remote access. Devices assembled in India but using Chinese-origin hardware also face scrutiny, and uncertified products will be prohibited from sale nationwide. As of early 2026, over 500 CCTV models have received...