Hikvision cameras watch more Indian streets than any other brand. As of yesterday, they can’t sell a single new one.
On April 1, India’s mandatory STQC certification for CCTV cameras kicked in. The government didn’t name Hikvision, Dahua, or TP-Link. It didn’t have to — the certification requires full supply chain disclosure, software audits, and data localization. Requirements Chinese surveillance giants cannot or will not meet. The US banned both companies in 2022. The UK and Australia added restrictions. India just joined the club — without using the word “ban.”
Why Chinese Brands Can’t Just Get Certified
STQC certification under MeitY’s IoT Security Certification Scheme demands something Chinese manufacturers have never volunteered: transparency. Every component’s origin, every software layer’s architecture, every data pathway — disclosed and audited. It’s part of India’s broader push for DPDP Act transparency requirements across the tech sector. Intelligence agencies globally have flagged Chinese surveillance equipment for potential backdoors and data exfiltration risks. Hikvision and Dahua requested a deadline extension in March. The government declined.
That’s not a regulatory hurdle. That’s a door closing — onto a $5.75 billion market projected to hit $14.25 billion by 2031.
Who Fills the Gap
The Indian brands who saw this coming. CP Plus, Prama, Matrix, Sparsh, Qubo, and HI-FOCUS already hold roughly 80% of the market and have their STQC certifications in hand. They’ve been preparing since MeitY’s original gazette notification in April 2024 — two full years to scale manufacturing while Chinese competitors lobbied for extensions.
If you already have Hikvision or Dahua cameras installed, nothing changes — the rule covers new sales only. But every new security purchase from here is domestic.
Here’s the part worth watching: this isn’t just about cameras. India’s DPDP Act, new AI regulations, and eased-but-limited China investment rules signal a pattern — critical infrastructure is being systematically moved behind trust gates. From Karnataka’s social media restrictions for minors to tightening tech governance nationwide, surveillance cameras were the easiest target. They won’t be the last.