Surveillance today isn’t just about recording, it’s about trust. And trust, especially when protecting public spaces, critical infrastructure, and sensitive data, must be earned. That’s where STQC certification steps in - not as a formality, but as a fundamental requirement in India’s evolving security landscape.

Short for Standardization Testing and Quality Certification, STQC is an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It ensures that electronics and IT systems, especially those like CCTV cameras, meet the highest standards for quality, performance, and cybersecurity. When you see the STQC mark, you’re not just looking at compliance, you’re looking at assurance, accountability, and readiness.

Why STQC Matters for Modern Surveillance

Not all CCTV cameras are created equally. As threats evolve from physical breaches to sophisticated cyberattacks, India needs surveillance systems that can go beyond basic coverage. STQC-certified systems are built to do exactly that.

Here’s why they stand apart:

• Government-Grade Security: Equipped to safeguard critical infrastructure, smart cities and homes.
   
• Cybersecurity-Ready: Designed to deliver tamper, hack, and theft-proof security.
   
• Compliance with Indian Standards: Built to align with national technical guidelines and legal norms.
   
• Tested Reliability: Rigorously checked for clarity, endurance, power resilience, and long-term stability.

STQC certification isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about proving performance, especially where failure isn’t an option.

CP PLUS: Raising the Bar, Not Just Meeting It

At the heart of this shift toward certified excellence stands CP PLUS, India’s most trusted name in surveillance. The brand hasn’t just adopted the STQC framework, it has helped redefine how it's implemented, especially in the real-world challenges of Indian conditions.

Why CP PLUS is the clear choice for STQC-compliant surveillance:

• Make in India Compliant: Products are conceived, designed, and engineered in India, for India.
   
• Trusted Nationwide: Widely deployed across government tenders, PSU installations, smart cities, and strategic public spaces.
   
• AI-Driven & Cyber-Hardened: Merges advanced video analytics with robust security protocols.
   
• Pan-India Support: An expansive service network ensures timely installation, training, and upkeep.

Every CP PLUS camera certified under STQC is a reflection of this deeper promise, security that thinks ahead.

Who Needs STQC-Certified CCTV?

STQC isn’t a niche requirement anymore. Today, a growing number of sectors demand this level of assurance:

• Government departments & Public Sector Units (PSUs)
   
• Smart city surveillance and traffic command centres
   
• Airports, railway stations, and border security posts
   
• Healthcare, education, and data-sensitive institutions
   
• Critical infrastructure like power plants, banks, and data centres

Whether you're a system integrator preparing a government bid or a facility head tasked with compliance, STQC certification through CP PLUS helps you stay ahead, technologically and legally.

What CP PLUS Delivers, Others Often Don’t

With CP PLUS, you get more than just certification. You get:

• Future- Proofing: Firmware that adapts, systems that evolve.
   
• Crystal-Clear Clarity: High-definition visuals under all lighting conditions.
   
• Seamless Integration: Smooth compatibility with existing systems and government-backed platforms.
   
• Durability: Built to withstand India’s diverse weather and connectivity conditions.

Every product is crafted with the awareness that security must not falter, especially when it matters most.

Why Certified Security is Smarter Security

Compliance is no longer optional. As India pushes toward digitally integrated governance and smarter public safety, systems that don’t meet standards simply don’t make the cut.

Choosing STQC-certified surveillance isn’t just a strategic move, it’s a responsible one. And choosing CP PLUS means opting for a partner that combines policy-level compliance with ground-level practicality, nationwide reach, and unmatched technical excellence.

This is security built not just to pass the test, but to stand the test of time.

In a defining move that signals the rise of a more secure, self-reliant, and quality-assured surveillance ecosystem, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has introduced a new compliance requirement for the CCTV industry in India. As per the official gazette notification dated April 9, 2024, MeitY has made STQC certification mandatory for all CCTV cameras - whether manufactured, imported, or sold across the country.

This change falls under the updated Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, and mandates compliance with Essential Requirements (ERs) and BIS certification (IS 13252 Part 1). All non-compliant models will be barred from sale or distribution post April 9, 2025.

The decision marks a pivotal shift in India’s approach toward surveillance technology, one that reinforces national security, data privacy, cybersecurity resilience, and consumer trust.

Understanding STQC: The New Quality Gatekeeper for CCTV

Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) is a set of quality assurance frameworks developed by MeitY. STQC focuses on rigorous technical validation to ensure electronics, especially security and surveillance equipment, meet defined standards of safety, reliability, and performance. It goes beyond functional efficiency and delves deep into the core of cybersecurity, hardware resilience, and data protection protocols.

STQC certification for CCTV cameras demands comprehensive testing of encryption mechanisms, firmware integrity, secure communication protocols, and physical robustness, setting a new benchmark for surveillance products in India.

Key Provisions of the Mandate

● Universal Applicability: All analog, IP, and speed dome cameras must obtain STQC certification under IS 13252-1 (IEC 60950-1) standard.

● Cybersecurity by Design: Every certified product must comply with stringent ERs, including:

○ Secure communication via TLS/HTTPS

○ Enforcement of strong, unique passwords

○ Disabling of debugging/test ports in shipped devices

○ Uniformity in firmware versioning and patch management

● Tamper-Resistance & Physical Security:

○ Devices must feature secure enclosures

○ Physical ports must be access-controlled or locked

○ External interfaces must be designed to deter unauthorized access

● Certification Deadline: Effective from April 9, 2025, all non-certified models will:

○ Be removed from the BIS license databases

○ Be ineligible for new model approvals

○ Face prohibition from manufacturing, sales, or imports within India

A Boost for Atmanirbhar Bharat & Indigenous Innovation

The STQC mandate is not just a regulatory milestone; it is a strategic enabler of India’s 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision. By enforcing stringent quality and cybersecurity parameters within the national ecosystem, the regulation actively discourages substandard, foreign-dumped products and opens new doors for domestic manufacturers and indigenous innovations.

For Indian brands, the path forward is not just about compliance, but about leading with conviction, capability, and country-first commitment.

CP PLUS: At the Forefront of India’s Secure Surveillance Revolution

India’s leading surveillance brand, CP PLUS, has long believed that surveillance is not just about watching - it’s about protecting, preventing, and preserving. With a well-established ecosystem of design, development, and manufacturing facilities in India, CP PLUS is uniquely positioned to meet and exceed STQC standards.

Having already invested significantly in R&D, firmware security frameworks, and hardware hardening protocols, CP PLUS is fully equipped to align its product portfolio, including IP cameras, analog cameras, PTZ solutions, and smart edge devices, with the new STQC requirements.

From encryption standards embedded into every transmission to physical designs engineered for tamper resistance, CP PLUS products are built with a vision to offer trustworthy, highintegrity surveillance for every Indian household, institution, enterprise, and government body.

This proactive compliance readiness, backed by decades of market leadership, positions CP PLUS not just as a manufacturer but as a national partner in security sovereignty.

Impact on the Surveillance Ecosystem

The introduction of STQC compliance brings with it significant ramifications, some challenging, but many promising, for the surveillance industry at large:

Enhanced Security and Trust - With encrypted data transfers, consistent firmware, and tamperproof designs becoming mandatory, consumers and institutions can trust their surveillance systems like never before.

Operational Challenges for Some Manufacturers - The path to compliance is not without its hurdles. From obtaining testing approvals to updating legacy firmware, and from redesigning physical components to aligning supply chains, the industry must prepare for transformation at all levels.

Supply Chain Realignment - Manufacturers relying on imported, non-compliant components may face disruptions. India-based supply chains, however, will benefit from renewed focus and investments.

A Rise in Standardization and Benchmarking - The move encourages surveillance systems to be assessed on standardized parameters - enabling fair comparison, consistent performance expectations, and better buyer awareness.

The Way Forward: Standardised, Secure & Sovereign

India’s move to mandate STQC certification for CCTV cameras is more than regulatory enforcement, it is a declaration of security independence and consumer dignity. In an age where surveillance systems can be the first line of defense against everything from local crime to cyber intrusion, ensuring that every device is secure by design is not just prudent, it is essential.

By championing this regulation, MeitY has created a model for proactive, pre-emptive cybersecurity governance, one that puts India in the global spotlight as a nation where digital trust is engineered into every device.

And with brands like CP PLUS leading the way, the future of surveillance in India looks indigenized, intelligent, and impregnable.

CP PLUS, India’s leading security and surveillance brand, has officially launched its groundbreaking CTC Technology - CP PLUS Trusted Core Technology. Engineered with precision, foresight, and the promise of secure innovation, this ingenious and inventive solution addresses the growing global concern over data privacy and cybersecurity in modern surveillance systems.

As the world advances toward hyper-connected environments, with smart homes, cloud platforms, and IoT-based systems becoming the norm, the vulnerabilities that come along with these conveniences have increased manifold. Recognizing this crucial shift, CP PLUS has developed CTC Technology as the heart of reliable, resilient, and secure surveillance: designed to fortify every layer of the surveillance ecosystem.

CTC Technology is a multi-layered security architecture that brings together the best of cybersecurity practices and technological intelligence. It is not just an enhancement; it is a complete redefinition of how surveillance should function in today’s digital landscape - more intelligent, more secure, and more reliable than ever before.

“At its core, CTC stands for CP PLUS Trusted Core Technology, a proprietary advancement developed with one clear mission: to protect surveillance systems from modern cyber threats that are constantly evolving. It safeguards users by addressing all possible touchpoints of vulnerability, including data access, device firmware, system operations, network communication, and even the origin of hardware components. It ensures that every camera, every stream, every piece of footage - and every byte of data - is protected”, adds Mr. Aditya Khemka, Managing Director, CP PLUS (Aditya Infotech Ltd.).

What sets CTC apart is its foundation on six critical pillars of protection, each addressing a key vulnerability area. Cyber Security protects the system from hacking attempts and unauthorized access. Operational Security ensures there are no disruptions or system failures caused by malicious interference. Network Security shields data transmission channels to prevent breaches. Data Security secures all recorded footage using high-grade encryption, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. Application Security ensures that the software running the devices is robust and shielded against exploits. And lastly, Critical Component Security safeguards the hardware and firmware - the physical and digital backbone of every device - from tampering or counterfeiting.

But CTC doesn’t stop there. It incorporates a host of advanced security measures, making it one of the most comprehensive surveillance security platforms available today.

1. Enterprise-Grade Security

CTC ensures your surveillance system starts securely and stays protected with the latest encryption and authentication mechanisms.

2. Secure Boot: Verified from Power-On

CTC verifies firmware integrity from the moment the device powers on - no chance for malicious code injection.

3. Strong Cryptography with AES-256

CTC employs the latest AES-256 encryption standard, safeguarding data transmission and storage at all times.

4. Tamper-Proof Communication

CTC secures all data in transit with encrypted channels, ensuring protection against man-in-the-middle attacks.

5. Trusted Core = Trusted Surveillance

CTC builds trust at the core, enabling organizations to meet compliance needs like OWASP, IoTSCS ER, and more.

The system is also resilient against side-channel attacks, a sophisticated form of cyberattack that exploits indirect leaks like electromagnetic emissions or power consumption. CTC has been specifically engineered to resist such vulnerabilities with advanced hardware-level security.

acking the technological depth of CTC is a stamp of validation that speaks volumes. Our CTCpowered cameras are STQC Certified, aligning with India’s stringent cybersecurity and quality assurance standards. This certification reinforces the credibility and reliability of CTC-enabled solutions and showcases CP PLUS’s dedication to developing indigenized, Made-in-Bharat innovations that meet global benchmarks.

In simpler terms, CTC Technology ensures that your surveillance system is protected: always. Whether it is the camera you have installed in your home, a large-scale deployment in a city surveillance project, or critical systems in financial, healthcare, or industrial sectors, CTC ensures that your data remains your own and your systems remain resilient against all cyber threats.

With this launch, CP PLUS has once again demonstrated its ability to lead the industry not just in innovation, but in responsible and secure innovation. CTC Technology is not just a new feature, it is a new philosophy, one that believes surveillance should be about more than just watching; it should be about protecting, not just physical spaces, but digital sanctity too.

The future of secure surveillance is here. Its name is CTC. And it is proudly brought to you by CP PLUS.