India's CCTV testing rules: what STQC and the Essential Requirements mean for installers

If you sell or install CCTV in India, you have probably heard customers or distributors asking whether a camera is "STQC certified". The rules behind this question are technical, and they have changed more than once, so plenty of confusion is going around.

This guide explains the regime in practical terms and suggests how installers can protect themselves and their customers. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules and timelines in this area have moved, so check the current position with the official sources and your suppliers before relying on it.

The short version

• CCTV cameras in India fall under the government's compulsory registration scheme for electronics.
• A 2024 change brought in security-focused Essential Requirements for CCTV, with testing connected to STQC, a directorate under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• These obligations are aimed mainly at those who make and bring products to market, such as manufacturers and importers.
• We have not found a separate licence or registration for installers under this regime. But what you are allowed to sell and fit, and what your customers ask for, still depends on it.
• The practical action for an installer is to check each model against documents from your supplier, then keep those records.

The legal background

India's Compulsory Registration Order (CRO), issued under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods framework, requires listed electronic products to meet standards and be registered with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) before sale. CCTV has been on that list for some time.

An amendment dated 9 April 2024 added Essential Requirements for CCTV products, with an implementation date reported as 9 April 2025. In short, a camera's route to BIS registration now also depends on showing that it meets these security requirements.

That transition did not last. Manufacturers, testing agencies and trade press widely report that a MeitY Office Memorandum of 16 January 2026 withdrew the relaxation that had allowed older, non-conforming stock to be sold, and that from 1 April 2026 CCTV cameras that do not meet the Essential Requirements cannot be sold in India. Several of the same sources report that analogue cameras were exempted from the Essential Requirements by a notification in March 2025. We have not read the memorandum itself, so if a purchase depends on these details, ask your distributor to confirm them in writing and check the latest notifications from MeitY.

What STQC is

STQC stands for Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification. It is a directorate under MeitY that provides testing and certification services, and it runs the testing path for the CCTV Essential Requirements.

A camera's manufacturer or brand applies, and the product is tested. If it passes, it receives a report or certificate that forms part of its compliance record. Installers do not usually have any dealings with STQC themselves.

What the Essential Requirements look at

Advisers and manufacturers describe the requirements as focused on security: resisting tampering, protecting software and data, secure communications, secure updates and identifying what is inside the product. The authoritative text is in the government's own documents, so go there for specifics.

One useful primary source is STQC's series guidelines document. It explains how a family of camera models can be grouped and tested together, and it reveals a lot about what the regulators care about:

• All products in a series must use the same System-on-Chip.
• The layout for security-related parts of the board must stay the same, though variations such as housing, lens and mounting are allowed.
• Products in a series must use identical software or firmware versions with matching hash values. Multiple versions must be tested separately.
• The hardware and software bills of materials must be documented.
• The certificate must include details such as a product picture, model number, chipset information including country of origin, firmware version and hash value.

This last point is especially useful for installers, as it tells you what a genuine document should show.

Does this apply to installers?

Here is the honest answer: the published materials we reviewed focus on manufacturers, brands and importers, and we found no separate obligations aimed specifically at installers. The series guidelines do mention products "being developed, marketed, or distributed" under the framework, so the supply chain as a whole should pay attention.

That does not mean an installer can ignore the rules:

• You may be selling the product. If you invoice a customer for cameras, you are part of the sale. Whether a particular duty applies to you is a legal question that depends on your role and the facts, and it is worth asking an adviser.
• Customers will ask. Government bodies, large companies and consultants commonly write compliance into their tenders.
• Your reputation is on the line. If a customer later finds that the equipment you supplied was non-compliant, they will come to you first.
• Old stock carries risk. A distributor offering cheap older models may be clearing stock that no longer meets current rules.

Practical checks before you buy

Build these into your purchasing routine.

1. Ask for documents by exact model

Compliance attaches to specific models. "This brand is certified" is not enough. Ask for the documents covering the exact model and firmware you are buying.

2. Compare the details

Check that the following match:

• the model number on the certificate, the box and the invoice
• the firmware version on the device and on the certificate, as far as this can be checked
• the manufacturer or brand name

Remember that the rule about hash values means a firmware change could matter. Ask the supplier how updates are handled under their certification.

3. Check BIS registration

BIS registration details and numbers can be looked up through the BIS Compulsory Registration portal, crsbis.in. Compare what you find with what the product label shows.

4. Get it in writing

Ask your distributor to confirm in writing that the supplied models comply with the rules currently in force for sale in India. Keep this along with the purchase invoice.

5. Be careful with old stock and parallel imports

Ask for the manufacturing or import date for bargain stock. Be especially careful with grey-market products, as they may not be covered by any Indian registration or warranty.

6. Remember the rest of the system

The Essential Requirements are discussed mainly in terms of cameras. Whether a particular recorder or other device falls within scope is something to confirm with the supplier and the rules in force at that time. Do not assume.

Keeping records

Good records take little effort if you make them part of each job. For each installation, keep:

• the purchase invoice from your supplier
• the model and serial number of each device
• the compliance documents for each model
• the firmware version at handover
• your supplier's written confirmation

Attach these documents to the job or customer record so that you can quickly respond if a customer or auditor asks. Our handover checklist includes recording firmware versions for this reason.

What to tell your customers

Customers do not need a lecture on the regulations. They want reassurance. You could say something like this:

"The cameras we are proposing are model X. We have the supplier's compliance documents for that model, and we can include them with your handover pack."

For larger customers and tenders, read the requirement carefully. A tender might ask for specifically named certificates or for local manufacturing under separate public procurement rules. Those are separate issues from the CRO. The STQC document itself mentions both CRO and PPO routes, where PPO is generally understood to mean the separate public procurement framework, so be careful not to treat one document as covering both unless it says so.

Avoid overstating. Saying "fully government approved" is vague and could cause problems later. Refer to the specific document and what it covers.

What about cameras already installed?

We have not found a requirement in the materials we reviewed for customers to remove cameras already in place because of this change. The rules we looked at address products being brought to market. If a customer is worried, they should get advice on their own position, particularly if they operate in a regulated sector or a government supply chain. Replacing an older system is a decision to make in the normal course of upgrades, and any sales conversation about it should stick to the facts rather than scare the customer into buying.

Questions to ask your distributor

Copy these into an email.

1. Please confirm that models [list] comply with the CRO requirements for CCTV in force today.
2. Please provide the BIS registration number and the Essential Requirements documents for each model.
3. Which firmware versions are covered? How do firmware updates affect this?
4. When was this stock manufactured or imported?
5. Who provides warranty support in India?
6. If the rules change, what is your position on stock already supplied?

A reliable supplier should be able to answer these without difficulty, and vague replies tell you something too.

Keep watching for changes

This area has been moving quickly. Practical ways to stay up to date include:

• checking announcements from MeitY, STQC and BIS
• asking your distributors for updates
• following trade associations and manufacturers' bulletins, while remembering that manufacturers have products to sell
• asking your legal or tax adviser when a real decision depends on the answer

Add a note of the date to your internal guidance, and review it regularly.

Sources and further reading

• STQC series guidelines for CCTV products, government document
• Matrix Comsec on STQC and Essential Requirements, a manufacturer's explanation
• Tsaaro on India's new CCTV rules, an adviser's commentary

The last two are secondary sources with their own perspectives. Check anything important against the official notifications.