India to ban sale of HikVision, TP Link and other Chinese CCTV brands: What will happen to existing users?
India may stop selling some Chinese CCTV brands from April 1 due to new rules.
Indian and global brands are taking their place, with some price increase.
Old devices will still work, but updates and support may become an issue.
The Indian government is all set to crackdown on the Chinese surveillance brands that just don’t want to comply with the government policies and quality checks. Regulating the surveillance market, the authorities have now stiffened the rules that will come into effect from April 1. As per the new regulations, all the internet-based surveillance devices will have to meet the strict certification and security compliance standards prior to their entry in the Indian markets. Companies that fail to meet these standards will not be allowed to operate, leading to a major shift in supply and competition. While Chinese CCTV brands that dominated earlier have to deal with being excluded, Indian manufacturers and global brands are stepping in to fill the void in both segments in a growing market.
The new rules have been brought in under the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) umbrella announced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2024. These norms require manufacturers to declare the origin of key components such as the system on chip and ensure products are tested for vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorised access.
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Industry executives say authorities are not granting certification to products linked to Chinese CCTV companies like Hikvision, TP Link and Dahua or those using Chinese chipsets. Without approval, these devices cannot be sold in India.
The impact on the market has been swift. Chinese CCTV brands, which held about one third of the market until last year, have either exited or reduced operations. Some have attempted to adjust by changing supply chains or forming local partnerships, but with limited success.
At the same time, Indian brands including CP Plus, Qubo, Prama, Matrix and Sparsh have expanded rapidly. They have shifted to non-Chinese components, often sourcing from Taiwan, and have focused on localising software. According to Counterpoint Research, domestic players now control more than 80 per cent of the market.
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Global companies such as Bosch and Honeywell continue to dominate the premium segment.
However, the transition has come with higher costs. Analysts have estimated that the production costs are likely to rise by 15 to 20 per cent due to the shift away from Chinese suppliers and the continuing component shortages. While entry-level prices remain stable, mid-range and high-end products have become more expensive.
Although the government has not prohibited the use of existing surveillance devices from the affected Chinese CCTV companies, there could be issues in the future. For instance, in case the companies leave the country, their devices may not receive essential software updates.
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Some of the apps on the devices may also cease to function in case the local servers are shut down, and repairing them may also become a challenge. This means that the devices may become outdated, and users may be forced to purchase alternative devices from recognised Indian or international companies.
