Why India may ban Hikvision, Dahua, TP-Link CCTV sales from April 1: EXPLAINED

The CCTV market in India is set to face major change. As per a latest report by The Economic Times, India is preparing to tighten rules around internet-connected CCTV cameras. From April 1, several brands, including Hikvision, Dahua and TP-Link, may no longer be allowed to sell certain CCTV products in the country.

The reason behind the ban is still unclear as the government has yet to make the official announcement. However, the report suggests that the stricter certification rules are coming into effect, and not all companies are meeting them. It is more about the national security-focused rules, which are introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and IT. These rules require all CCTV devices to go through a mandatory certification process before they can be sold in India.

How it will impact manufacturers

Once the rule is applied, the manufacturers will need to focus on:

• The clear declaration of the country of origin of key components
• They will need to make sure that the devices are tested for security vulnerabilities
• It will need to prevent risks like unauthorised remote access

If a product doesn’t meet these standards, it won’t get certification,  and without that, it can’t be sold.

Why are only Chinese brands in the target

Many of the impacted brands rely on Chinese-origin components, especially chipsets. Reports suggest that products using these components are finding it difficult to get approval under the new system. Even large-scale manufacturing setups have reportedly failed certification due to supply chain concerns. As a result, companies are either trying to restructure operations or stepping back from certain product categories.

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What can you do?

For you, this may change the options available in the market. Over time, you’re more likely to see more locally made CCTV products and a greater focus on data security and privacy. And to be honest, the shift has already started showing its results as brands like CP Plus, Qubo, Prama and others are expanding their presence. Interestingly, many of them have moved to non-Chinese components and localised systems, which makes compliance easier.