Made-in-India CCTV Brands and What the Rules Say

Why “made in India” now matters for CCTV

For years most CCTV sold in India was imported, much of it from China. Two changes shifted the market. Government procurement rules have long given preference to products with local content, and since 2024 network cameras must pass security tests before registration for sale. Brands have responded by expanding manufacturing in India and building security testing into product design. For buyers, “made in India” is now partly about supply and support, and partly about which models can be certified.

Brands manufacturing in India

Other brands assemble or source locally to varying degrees. Ask for the specific model’s country of manufacture rather than relying on the brand alone.

What the certification rules say

Under the Essential Requirements for Security of CCTV, added to the compulsory registration scheme in 2024, each network camera model must be tested by an STQC-recognised lab before BIS registration. The tests check hardware security, signed firmware, absence of backdoors and supply-chain controls. The rules apply model by model and do not name or ban any brand.

Indian vs Chinese brands in practice

Press reports in April 2026 said network cameras from Chinese manufacturers such as Hikvision and Dahua were in practice not receiving certification, while several Indian brands had certified models. That picture can change as applications are processed. The safe approach is the same for every brand: ask for proof of certification for the exact IP camera model in your quotation, and do not assume that a brand being Indian or foreign settles the question.

Public procurement and tenders

Government departments and many public-sector tenders apply India’s Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) policy, which favours products meeting local content thresholds. Tender documents may also ask for certification and country-of-origin declarations. Private buyers are not bound by these rules, but large companies increasingly include similar requirements in their own vendor policies.

Does made in India mean better quality?

• Not automatically — quality depends on the model and the maker’s engineering, wherever it is built.
• Local manufacturing often means faster availability, spares and warranty replacement.
• Local firmware and security teams can respond faster to vulnerabilities and certification requirements.
• Compare image quality, analytics, NVR software and support, not just origin.

How to check a camera

• Read the label and box for the country of manufacture.
• Ask the supplier for the BIS registration and certification of the exact model number.
• Check the model is listed in the registration database.
• Get it in writing in the quotation, with the model numbers that will actually be installed.

What we install

SightShield installs IP cameras from CP Plus, PRAMA, Honeywell and Hikvision, and quotes only models whose certification for sale in India we can confirm.

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