STQC ER vs BIS CRS vs Make in India PPO: Which Applies to CCTV in India
The BIS Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) covers every CCTV camera and recorder sold in India. Since 1 April 2026, an IP camera that does not meet MeitY's security Essential Requirements (ER) cannot be sold. The Make in India procurement order (PPP-MII) binds only government buyers. STQC issues an ER test report that both accept.
Verified against
- MeitY, S.O. 1652(E), 9 Apr 2024: amends the CRO 2021 and adds the ER for CCTV cameras at S. No. 41 (egazette 2024/253632)
- MeitY, S.O. 1119(E), 6 Mar 2024: notifies the Video Surveillance System under PPP-MII (egazette 2024/252738)
- DPIIT, Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017, revised 19 Jul 2024, No. P-45021/2/2017-PP (BE-II). Copy hosted by DoT (dot.gov.in PDF).
- MeitY IPHW circular W-18/26/2025-IPHW, 4 Feb 2026, on PPP-MII testing for CCTV (stqc.gov.in PDF)
- MeitY OM W-18/26/2025-IPHW, 16 Jan 2026, withdrawing the old-stock relaxation (crsbis.in PDF)
- BIS Registration Dept: CCTV ER guidelines of 22 Oct 2024 (PDF), the analogue circular of 1 Apr 2025 (PDF) and the IS/IEC 62368-1 migration guidelines (PDF)
- BIS, List of Registrations and models of CCTVs complying with ER for Security (crsbis.in)
- STQC IoTSCS scheme page (stqc.gov.in), the PPO list notice (stqc.gov.in) and the ER certified product list (stqc.gov.in)
- Checked 13 Oct 2026.
CRO vs PPP-MII vs STQC: side by side
| BIS CRS registration (CRO) | PPP-MII Order (Make in India) | STQC ER test report / certificate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | CRO 2021 under BIS Act s.16. ER added by S.O. 1652(E) | DPIIT order 2017, revised 19 Jul 2024. CCTV notified by MeitY S.O. 1119(E) | Not a separate rule. It is the evidence route for the security test. Run under STQC's IoT System Certification Scheme (IoTSCS) |
| Who is bound | Manufacturers, Indian or foreign, need the registration (S.O. 1652(E) para 3). Sellers: from 1 Apr 2026, "no sale of any CCTV cameras, which do not conform to ERs" | "Procuring entities": central ministries and departments, their attached and subordinate offices, autonomous bodies they control, and Government companies. Also state or local-body buys under schemes funded by the Government of India | A maker seeking a BIS licence, or a PPP-MII bidder |
| Private factory buying for itself | Protected indirectly: the seller may not sell it a non-ER IP camera | Not bound. A private company is not a "procuring entity" | Nothing to obtain. Ask for it only as evidence |
| Devices | BIS lists S. No. 41 as "CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders" (safety, IS 13252 (Part 1):2010); the S.O. 1652(E) ER entry names "CCTV Camera". ER applies to IP cameras only. Analogue cameras are exempt | VSS: analogue and IP cameras, speed domes, DVR/NVR for local content. ER applies to cameras "(Analog/IP/…)". DVR/NVR security norms "will be notified subsequently" | Network cameras on the ER list. NVR/DVR assessed as "processor-based IT solutions" (no level, but a certificate is issued) |
| What it proves | Electrical and fire safety, plus ER security for listed IP models | Local content (Class-I at least 50%, Class-II at least 20%) plus ER security | That the model and firmware passed the ER security test |
| Evidence | R-number, a BIS letter listing ER-compliant models, and the packaging line "This CCTV camera complies with Essential Requirement(s) for Security" | Local-content self-certification. Above ₹10 crore, an auditor's or cost accountant's certificate. STQC security test report | Certificate number in the form STQC/IOTSCS/ER/0xx |
| Validity | Per R-number; the BIS list shows each expiry (e.g. R-41087416, to 24-APR-2029) | STQC test report valid three years from issue | Three years for PPP-MII purposes |
| Verify at | BIS ER list | Tender documents and the bidder's declarations | STQC ER list |
| Source | S.O. 1652(E), OM 16-01-2026, BIS 22-10-2024, BIS 01-04-2025 | S.O. 1119(E) paras 4, 5, 9, 11, DPIIT 2024 paras 2, 4, 5, 6 | IoTSCS page, MeitY 04-02-2026 |
Key dates: PPP-MII CCTV rules in force 7 Jun 2024; CRO ER in force 9 Apr 2025; old-stock relaxation ends 1 Apr 2026; IS 13252 (Part 1) withdrawn for CCTV, replaced by IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, after 1 Nov 2028.
Where the three differ
- One ER, two orders. MeitY's 4 Feb 2026 circular says the ERs under the CRO and under PPP-MII "are same". Going forward, STQC issues the security report as per the CRO ER, and that report "would be applicable for compliance to PPP-MII". The same circular says the STQC security certificate has "no linkages with the value additions requirement". An STQC certificate does not make a camera "Make in India".
- Analogue cameras. The two orders split here. Under the CRO, BIS says analogue cameras need only the IS 13252 test report and no ER test. S.O. 1119(E) para 5 lists "CCTV Cameras (Analog/ IP/ …)" as having to meet the ER for PPP-MII. On the BIS ER list checked 13 Oct 2026, 32 of 83 R-number rows had entries in the "Analog CCTV Camera Models" column.
- NVRs and DVRs. They are in the CRO for safety but outside the CRO ER, which the 2026 BIS migration table words as "for IP based CCTV Cameras". Under PPP-MII they count toward local content, but their security norms were left "to be notified subsequently". Details: Do NVRs and DVRs need STQC/BIS?
- Which list to trust. STQC says its PPO list for network cameras "is no longer being updated and is retained solely for historical reference". For a camera bought today, use the BIS ER list and the STQC ER list.
- Small buys. PPP-MII exempts buys under ₹5 lakh, with no splitting allowed (DPIIT 2024, para 4); the CRO has no threshold.
How to check one camera
- Copy the exact model and firmware version from the label and web UI.
- Open the BIS ER list. Find the R-number, check that "Status of R-Number" reads Registered (the list also shows Expired, Cancelled and Deferred) and that the validity date is in the future, and confirm the model appears under "Models Complying with Security ER". A sibling model does not count. Step by step: How to check a BIS R-number.
- Optionally, check the STQC ER list. Per MeitY's series guidelines (in the BIS 22 Oct 2024 PDF), a certificate must state the model, chipset with country of origin, firmware version and hash. Each firmware version is tested "as independent series".
- Government/CPSU tender only: add the Class-I/II local-content declaration and the STQC report date (three-year validity). Shortcut: the CCTV certificate checker.
What breaks in a factory
- Firmware drift. ER compliance is tied to a firmware hash. Flashing a newer build to fix an NVR issue may move the camera off its certified series. Record the certified build before any update.
- Mixed analogue/IP floors. HD-over-coax cameras are exempt from the CRO ER, but S.O. 1119(E) names analogue cameras. That matters only for cameras bought for a government buyer, e.g. under an SI or EPC contract (DPIIT 2024 para 3(c)). Record the two scopes separately.
- Expired R-numbers. Five rows on the BIS ER list read Expired on 13 Oct 2026, so a like-for-like swap after a surge or lightning failure needs a fresh check.
- 2028 spares. Ask whether replacement models will migrate to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 before IS 13252 is withdrawn on 1 Nov 2028.
When to call the installer / what to ask the vendor
Ask in writing, per model:
- the R-number and the BIS letter listing the model as ER-compliant
- the firmware version and hash that was certified
- whether the camera is analogue or IP
- for any public-sector order, the Class-I/II local-content figure and the STQC report date
The tender specification template has clause wording you can copy.
Certification says nothing about whether cameras see the machines that matter. Mama reads a factory's existing cameras over RTSP/ONVIF, certified or older, and tells the owner each morning where machines stood idle. Leave an email or phone in the form below.
FAQ
Is STQC certification mandatory for CCTV cameras in India? Not by name for a private sale. Mandatory is BIS registration with ER compliance for IP cameras; the ER test report can come from STQC or another BIS-recognised lab. Government procurement under PPP-MII requires a security test report from STQC "or any other agency notified by MeitY".
What is the difference between BIS and STQC certification for CCTV? BIS issues the registration (R-number) under the CRO. That covers safety under IS 13252 and, for IP cameras, the ER. STQC is the MeitY body whose IoTSCS scheme tests and certifies against the ER. Since 4 Feb 2026, MeitY treats the CRO ER report from STQC as valid for PPP-MII too.
Does the Make in India order apply to a private factory buying CCTV? No. The DPIIT order binds only "procuring entities" (central government bodies, their autonomous bodies, Government companies). A private plant is affected only through the CRO limits on what may be sold.
Do analogue CCTV cameras need ER certification? Not under the CRO. BIS's 1 Apr 2025 circular, citing MeitY, says analogue cameras need only the IS 13252 test report. In government tenders under S.O. 1119(E), the ER wording includes analogue cameras.