If you are shopping for ER compliant CCTV cameras this year, one rule decides what you can legally install.
From 1 April 2026, cameras that do not meet the government’s Essential Requirements cannot be sold. MeitY withdrew the relaxations that let older stock stay on shelves in January, and no further extensions have followed.
So the question is no longer whether to care about certification. It is how to check it before you pay.
Quick Answer
- ER means Essential Requirements, a cybersecurity standard rather than a picture quality one.
- From 1 April 2026, non-compliant internet-connected cameras cannot be sold or installed.
- Pure analog cameras are exempt, though the DVR or NVR still needs certification if it touches a network.
- Ask for the certificate number by model, not by brand.
- Expect 15 to 20 percent more than the uncertified cameras that used to fill the market.
What Makes a Camera ER Compliant
ER stands for Essential Requirements. It is a security certification proving a camera resists remote access and tampering.
It says nothing about picture quality. A camera can produce excellent 4K footage and fail entirely, because the test is about whether someone else can reach your feed.
MeitY issued the order tightening this in January 2026, and enforcement began on 1 April. Sellers cannot sell non-compliant cameras after that date, and installers cannot install them.
Why the Government Did This
The reasoning is worth understanding, because it makes the cost easier to accept.
Security researchers found the same problems repeatedly in cheap imported cameras:
- Remote access. Attackers could reach live footage from outside the building entirely.
- Data going to foreign servers, often without the owner knowing.
- Default credentials like admin and admin, which nobody changed and which anyone can look up.
- Botnet recruitment. Compromised cameras became part of networks used to launch attacks elsewhere.
Picture a government office, a bank branch, or a family home, all visible to someone thousands of kilometres away. That is the problem the rules exist to close.
The Six Things a Certified Camera Must Do
Testing verifies six specific behaviours.
A forced password change at setup. No admin and admin. The camera makes you set a unique password before it will work.
Encrypted transmission. Video and data travel scrambled, so intercepting the stream produces nothing readable.
Signed firmware. The manufacturer digitally signs the software, so nobody can push modified or malicious firmware onto the device.
Protected hardware. Tamper-resistant construction, with debug ports either disabled or locked down. Those ports are a common route in.
No backdoors. Testers check specifically for hidden access paths built into the device.
A patching commitment. The manufacturer has to supply signed firmware updates when new vulnerabilities appear, rather than shipping and forgetting.
Testing and certification happen through STQC, a government agency, and BIS registration covers the market authorisation side. Our guide on what to buy instead of Hikvision and Dahua covers which brands hold current certification.
Where Analog Cameras Stand
Good news if you run older analog cameras on coaxial cable. Pure analog cameras are exempt.
The reason is simple. They do not connect to the internet, carry no operating system and run no firmware. There is nothing on them for an attacker to reach, since they only push a video signal down a cable.
But the recorder is a different question. Your DVR or NVR does connect to a network, and it does run software. If it touches your network or the internet, certification applies to it.
So an analog system is not automatically outside the rules. The cameras are. The box they plug into may not be.
What It Costs
Certified cameras cost more, and the reason is straightforward: better security needs better components. More capable processors, encryption handling and secure memory all add to the build.
Reporting suggests a 15 to 20 percent increase over the uncertified cameras that previously dominated the low end.
The comparison worth making is not against last year’s prices. It is against a camera with a known weakness pointed at your premises, which is what the cheaper option actually offers.
Our CCTV camera set price guide covers current kit costs.
What Is Happening in the Market Now
Dealers holding non-compliant stock have been discounting heavily to clear it.
Those prices look tempting. Three things are worth weighing first.
Service and warranty. If a manufacturer cannot legally operate in the Indian market, warranty support on a new purchase is uncertain at best.
Commercial and government projects. A site inspector can reject an installation using uncertified equipment outright, and on a tender that means the whole project rather than one camera.
The security itself. A discounted non-compliant camera has precisely the weaknesses the rules exist to remove. You are buying the problem at a discount.
We moved to certified-only stock before the deadline. It costs slightly more, and we think that is the correct trade.
How to Verify Before You Pay
Four checks, and they take about two minutes.
Ask for the certificate number for that exact model. ER compliant CCTV cameras are certified individually, so the brand tells you nothing. Certification applies per model, so a manufacturer having certified products does not mean the unit in front of you is one.
Look for the compliance marking on the packaging, alongside the BIS registration number.
Check that the number matches the model on the box. A mismatch is the most common thing found on cleared stock.
Be sceptical of unusually low prices on unfamiliar brands. When a camera sits well below every certified equivalent, there is usually a reason.
A dealer who cannot produce a certificate number for the specific model is telling you something useful.
What to Do, by Situation
If you are buying now
Get the certificate number in writing before paying. Ask the installer to hand over the documentation with the job, since you will need it if anyone ever inspects the site or audits a commercial project.
Our guide on the best CCTV camera for home covers residential choices, and the made in India brands guide covers the certified options.
If you are an installer or dealer
Clear non-compliant stock rather than carrying it. Update your quotations to specify certified equipment explicitly, since a customer who later discovers otherwise has a legitimate complaint.
Build documentation into your handover process. Customers on commercial and government work increasingly ask for it, and supplying it before anyone asks is worth something.
If you already have cameras installed
Existing systems keep working. The rules cover new sales, not installations already in place.
Older analog cameras are generally fine, though check whether your recorder needs attention. IP cameras installed before the deadline do not need removing.
But every replacement and every addition from now on has to be certified. Plan a phased transition as cameras age out rather than replacing everything at once. Our installation guide covers placement if you are extending a system.
The Legal Position
Sellers and installers face consequences under the BIS Act, 2016, covering criminal liability, fines, licence action and seizure of non-compliant stock.
I have deliberately not quoted specific penalty figures here. Different sources give different numbers, and a specific fine or imprisonment figure is the kind of thing a reader repeats. If you need the exact provisions, read the BIS Act text or ask a lawyer rather than relying on any blog, including this one.
For buyers, the practical risks are more immediate: rejected installations on commercial and government projects, contract complications, and liability questions if a breach occurs through equipment you knew was uncertified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to replace my existing CCTV cameras?
No. The rules apply to new sales and installations, not to systems already in place. Existing cameras keep working normally. Any camera you add or replace from now on has to be certified, so most businesses transition gradually as equipment ages out.
Are analog cameras really exempt?
Pure analog cameras are, because they carry no operating system, no firmware and no network connection. But the DVR or NVR they connect to is a different device, and if it touches a network then certification applies to it. Check the recorder, not just the cameras.
How do I check whether a camera is certified?
Ask the seller for the certificate number for that exact model, then check the packaging carries the compliance marking and the BIS registration number. Certification is per model rather than per brand, so verify the model number rather than trusting the name on the box.
Will certified cameras really cost more?
Yes, around 15 to 20 percent more than the uncertified cameras that used to occupy the low end. The gap is narrowest at entry level, where Indian brands compete hard, and widest at the premium end where subsidised imports no longer set the price.
What happens if I install an uncertified camera anyway?
For a home, the practical risk is the security weakness itself plus no warranty support. On a commercial or government project, an inspector can reject the whole installation, which costs considerably more than the saving on the hardware.
The Short Version
Ask for the certificate number by model. Check it matches the box. Keep the documentation.
Everything else follows from those three steps. Certified cameras cost somewhat more and remove a category of risk that the cheap ones carry by design.
Need help choosing ER compliant CCTV cameras? We moved to certified-only stock before the deadline, and every camera we sell comes with its certificate, BIS registration number and full compliance documentation.
We supply and install for homes, offices, shops, factories and government projects across Indore and Pithampur, with the paperwork prepared for every job rather than assembled afterwards when someone asks.
See our IP camera range, our installation service across Indore and MP, or get in touch.
📞 Call or WhatsApp: +91 91091 06826
📧 Email: info@aliftechsecure.in
📍 Showroom: 3rd Floor, Chaturvedi Mansion, 26/4, AB Road, Old Palasia, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452001
