STQC and the Essential Requirements, explained plainly
In March 2024, MeitY notified Essential Requirements (ER) for CCTV cameras — cybersecurity and quality standards every camera sold in India must meet. A transition window let older stock clear. That window closed on 1 April 2026. Since then, cameras without STQC certification cannot legally be manufactured, imported, or sold in India.
The detail most vendors miss
Certification is issued per camera model, not per brand. A brand can have twenty certified models and still sell you an uncertified twenty-first. As of mid-2026, only a small set of manufacturers have certified models at all. The only reliable check is the certificate number against the specific model on your quotation — which is exactly what we verify, and document, before placing any order.
Why the rule exists
India installs cameras at enormous scale, and low-cost imports have repeatedly been found with serious security flaws — including devices transmitting data to servers outside India. The ER framework tests firmware security, tamper resistance and data handling. It's a cybersecurity rule wearing a quality-certification badge.
How Logikdesk handles it
Certificate verification per model before procurement. Certificate copies in your handover file. And if we audit an existing site, uncertified hardware is flagged by model with its status — so your decisions are based on the list, not on a salesman's assurance.
What this means for you
Any quotation should state the STQC certificate number per model. If a vendor can't produce it, the hardware is either uncertified or they haven't checked. Both are problems.
Pre-2026 systems aren't retrospectively illegal to operate, but replacements and additions must be compliant — and insurers and client auditors increasingly ask. A gap audit tells you where you stand.
STQC has been a procurement requirement even longer. Non-certified hardware is a tender disqualifier.
Quick self-check
Six questions, answered honestly. Not an audit — a starting point.
0 of 6
A quick audit will confirm the rest — book a site assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to keep using my old cameras?
Operating an existing pre-2026 system isn't prohibited. Selling, importing or installing non-certified cameras is. Any new camera added to your site must be certified.
How do I verify a certificate myself?
Ask the vendor for the certificate number for the exact model on your quote and match the model number character-for-character. We show clients how to do this during assessments — it takes five minutes and eliminates most bad quotes.
Does STQC apply to recorders and cables too?
The current ER mandate targets CCTV cameras. Recorders and cabling follow other BIS/quality frameworks — we specify those to standard as well.
Not sure where your current system stands? Book a compliance audit →