Government of India bans non-certified Chinese CCTV cameras from 1 April

Key facts

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will enforce a total ban on the sale of non-certified internet-connected CCTV cameras from Chinese manufacturers starting 1 April.
• The Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) regime is refusing to certify hardware that utilises Chinese-origin chipsets or firmware to prevent unauthorised remote access.
• Global surveillance leaders Hikvision and Dahua, which collectively held one-third of the Indian market until 2024, are the primary targets of the new certification rules.
• Smartphone brands including Xiaomi and Realme have exited the smart home camera segment after failing to meet the STQC requirements.
• Domestic vendors have surged to control 80% of the market share as of February 2026 following the regulatory intervention.
• The shift to non-Chinese components from Taiwan and the United States (US) has resulted in a 15-20% increase in the Bill of Materials (BoM) for manufacturers.