India is set to bar Chinese video surveillance giants Hikvision, Dahua, and TP-Link from selling internet-connected CCTV cameras in the country starting April 1. The move, driven by national security concerns, marks one of the most consequential regulatory actions against Chinese technology firms in India's surveillance sector.
The restrictions follow new security and certification requirements introduced by the government, which require manufacturers to certify surveillance equipment before it can be sold in the Indian market. Under the rules, CCTV manufacturers must disclose the country of origin of key components such as the System-on-Chip (SoC), and devices must be tested at accredited labs for vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorised remote access. So far, the government has certified 507 CCTV camera models under this framework.
Surveillance systems are considered critical infrastructure because they collect large amounts of sensitive data and monitor important public spaces such as airports, government buildings, and transport hubs. Security agencies have expressed concerns about issues such as hidden backdoor access, transmission of data to foreign servers, and deployment of these cameras in sensitive locations.
$7.5 billion India's video surveillance market
India's video surveillance market is estimated to be worth between $5 billion and $7.5 billion, according to Mordor Intelligence, and has grown rapidly over the past decade due to rising urbanisation, smart city projects, and increasing security requirements. Chinese brands historically held a large share of the Indian market because of their competitive pricing and wide distribution networks, accounting for about one-third of CCTV sales in India until last year, according to data from Counterpoint Research .
As of February 2026, however, Indian players already control more than 80 percent of the market, with brands such as CP Plus, Qubo, Prama, Matrix, and Sparsh expanding their presence by shifting supply chains to Taiwanese chipsets and developing localised firmware. These are good substitutes to look at, now that Chinese routers won't be sold anymore.
The latest move is part of India's broader trusted vendor approach to critical digital infrastructure, aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese technology vendors while encouraging suppliers from India and other trusted countries. In recent years, the government has taken several steps to limit Chinese technology's presence in strategic sectors, including banning several Chinese mobile applications such as TikTok, and restricting telecom equipment from companies such as Huawei and ZTE.
India's action mirrors a long-standing position held by the United States, where Hikvision and Dahua have been named under the National Defense Authorization Act as prohibited manufacturers, barring US federal agencies from procuring or using their products on national security grounds.
