India is moving to certified surveillance. This guide explains the BIS-ER and STQC certification requirements for CCTV in plain language — what they are, who needs them, and how to verify any brand's certificate before you buy. Always confirm the latest official timeline on crsbis.in and stqc.gov.in.
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To be legally sold in India, a CCTV system increasingly needs BIS-ER certification for the camera hardware and STQC certification for the video software (VMS). A product certified for only one layer is not fully compliant for government / GeM / PSU procurement.
India's Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and STQC (under MeitY, Government of India) have introduced Essential Requirements (ER) and security certification for CCTV cameras and video management software. The intent is cyber-secure, quality-assured surveillance — and to phase out non-certified products from the market. Government procurement already requires STQC compliance, and the requirement is extending across the broader market in 2026.
For the exact, current effective dates and product scope, always check the official BIS and STQC portals (linked below) — timelines have shifted, so treat those as the source of truth.
BIS-ER is the Bureau of Indian Standards' registration of CCTV camera hardware against the Essential Requirements (commonly referenced with IS 13252 and ER01:2024). It tests security and quality essentials such as:
A valid BIS-ER registration has an R-number (for example, ArcisAI's is R-72003735) that can be searched on the BIS portal.
STQC (Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification), under India's Ministry of Electronics and IT, certifies the security of the software — primarily the Video Management System (VMS) and apps — across hardware, firmware and network layers. For end-to-end compliance, both the camera (BIS-ER) and the software (STQC) need certification.
Most directly: any vendor selling into government, PSU, or GeM procurement — certification is a prerequisite there. More broadly, the market is shifting to certified-only products, so enterprises, institutions, housing societies and businesses buying now should choose certified brands to stay future-proof and avoid replacing non-compliant hardware later.
Alongside certification, origin matters: products built without high-risk foreign components (NDAA compliant) and manufactured in India are favoured for government and sensitive deployments. Buyers increasingly prioritise certified, Made-in-India brands for both compliance and supply-chain security.
ArcisAI holds BIS-ER (R-72003735, ER01:2024) for hardware and STQC certification for its VMS — plus ISO 27001:2022 and NDAA compliance, Made in India. Fully eligible for legal sale and government/GeM procurement.
Is non-certified CCTV legal to sell in India?
The market is moving to certified-only, and government/GeM procurement already requires it. Buying certified now avoids forced replacement later. Check official portals for the current effective date.
Does a camera need both BIS-ER and STQC?
For full compliance — especially government/PSU/GeM — yes: BIS-ER for hardware and STQC for the software.
How do I check if a brand is really certified?
Search the BIS R-number on crsbis.in and the STQC certificate on stqc.gov.in, or use our free certificate verifier.
Is ArcisAI certified?
Yes — BIS-ER (R-72003735, ER01:2024) and STQC certified, plus ISO 27001:2022, NDAA compliant, Made in India.