China’s ‘third eye’ locked from April 1! Big decision of Government of India, these CCTV cameras will be shut down

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing tension between India and China, the Central Government has prepared to give another big blow to the Dragon. If you also rely on Chinese CCTV cameras for the security of your home or office, then this news is very important for you. From April 1, bad days for Chinese CCTV brands like Hikvision, Dahua and TP-Link may start in India. The government has tightened the security standards so much that now it will be impossible to sell these cameras without government clearance.

What is the new rule and why did China get a shock?

According to the report of The Economic Times, new rules are going to be implemented for CCTV cameras from April 1 under the ‘Standardization Testing and Quality Certification’ (STQC) framework. Now STQC approval will be mandatory for every CCTV camera sold in India. If sources are to be believed, officials are reportedly refusing to give certification to those devices which have Chinese chipsets. This simply means that if clearance is not granted, then the entry of these cameras in the market will be stopped, which is in a way like an ‘undeclared ban’.

Fear of security and espionage: Why is there so much strictness?

The government’s concern regarding Chinese hardware is not limited to trade only, but it is a matter related to the security of the country. It is suspected that through these devices, sensitive footage can be remotely accessed from China (access without permission). Under the new rules, manufacturers will now have to declare in which country the specific components of the camera, especially the ‘system-on-chip’, are made. When the IT Ministry introduced these rules in April 2024, companies were given two years’ time, the deadline for which is now ending.

Indian companies are making noise: ‘Made in India’ now in every home

There was a time when China occupied one-third of the Indian CCTV market, but now the picture has changed. Indian brands like CP Plus, Qubo, Prama, Matrix and Sparsh have strengthened their hold on the basis of Taiwanese chipsets and indigenous firmware. According to Counterpoint Research, as of February, Indian companies have captured more than 80 percent of the market. So far, more than 500 CCTV models have received the new certification. The companies which moved away from Chinese components in time are in profit, the rest will be out of the market from April 1.