Importing CCTV cameras into India: every approval, standard and fee for 2026

Four approvals always apply to a retail CCTV camera: BIS CRS, e-waste EPR, plastic packaging EPR and Legal Metrology registration. WPC ETA applies only if the camera has a radio, and battery EPR only if it has a battery. TEC MTCTE and the BEE star label do not apply.

The one that stops shipments is BIS. No one may import, store for sale, sell or distribute a CRS-listed product unless it meets the Indian Standard and carries the Standard Mark with a BIS registration number^[3]. The BIS Act counts importers and sellers as bound by that rule, not just manufacturers^[11].

CCTV cameras are likely classified under ITC(HS) 85258900, "Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders - Other"^[27]. We have not found an official classification ruling for CCTV cameras, so confirm the code with your customs broker before you file the Bill of Entry. Recorders (DVRs and NVRs) are separate products and may sit under a different heading; we have not checked that line, so ask your broker.

Customs uses the HS code; BIS uses its own category names, and the two do not always line up. Borderline cases to check before you order:

A kit with cameras, a recorder and adaptors is not one product for BIS purposes. Each listed item in the box needs its own valid registration.

CCTV cameras usually go under 85258900, a line that was briefly "Restricted" in 2022, so check the current import policy as well as the code. The table sets out what is known; test your product in the HS code approval finder and confirm with your broker.

Every CCTV camera and recorder needs CRS; network connection, radios and batteries decide the rest. The security requirement is the big divider: BIS has reportedly said it does not apply to analog cameras^[32]. "Likely" marks our reading, not an official ruling. Check your model in the approval checker.

This is the order that avoids rework. BIS takes longest and blocks everything else, so start there.

Tools and help. The approval checker lists approvals for your exact camera, and the first electronics import checklist covers IEC, broker and documents. Importing from China? See importing from China. Verify a BIS licence before paying. For filing help, see our BIS consultants guide; for a free compliance check, contact us.

The category. CCTV cameras and recorders are one CRS category, tested to IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 together with ER 01:2024, the essential security requirements^[1]. The BIS portal list still also shows IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 plus the security requirements for this category^[28]. Both are correct for now: MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) of October 2025 replaced IS 13252 (Part 1) and IS 616 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 in the CRS schedule^[39], and the old standards may run alongside until 1 November 2028^[2]. For new testing, ask your lab to use IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.

The security requirement. What makes CCTV different from other CRS products is the extra security test. The MeitY order was amended on 9 April 2024 by S.O. 1652(E)^[40]. According to circular titles on the BIS portal, which we have not read in full, that amendment added Essential Requirements for Security for CCTV cameras and recorders, and a BIS circular of 1 April 2025 says those security requirements do not apply to analog CCTV cameras^[32]. In practice: IP cameras, Wi-Fi cameras and NVRs should expect the security test; for an analog camera, ask your lab to confirm the exemption in writing before testing.

Who applies. The factory applies, not the importer. The licence is granted to the manufacturer for each manufacturing unit^[3]. If you buy from a Chinese or Taiwanese factory, it is the factory's licence that covers your cameras. Each brand needs a separate application unless the brand owner is the same^[12], so a white-label camera sold under your brand needs a registration in your brand's name.

Models. Samples are chosen under MeitY's series guidelines, and further series models can be added with supplementary reports referring to an accepted report^[12]. New models later on are added by inclusion: Rs 30,000 including one test report, plus Rs 20,000 per extra report^[4].

Fees. The published table is in the approvals table above, plus GST^[4]. Since a February 2026 amendment, licences run five years with fees paid annually^[13]; a consultant reports the processing fee is now Rs 25,000 a year^[41], but BIS has not yet published that schedule.

For the full process, see BIS CRS registration and the CRS documents list.

On top of electrical safety, networked CCTV cameras must pass a security evaluation against Essential Requirements, and STQC's published procedure shows what that means in practice. STQC's IoT System Certification Scheme document P01, Issue 01 of 21 May 2024, sets out how STQC-supervised labs test CCTV cameras against the Essential Requirements in MeitY's notification of 6 March 2024^[42]. BIS's CRS lab page lists the CCTV security requirements (ER01) with a link to the recognised labs on LIMS^[43].

What the manufacturer prepares. A Technical Construction File with the artefacts the Essential Requirements name, an entity relationship diagram of its supply chain, production samples or engineering boards with access probes, and a compliance declaration signed by a director who holds a DIN^[42]. It also supplies ISO 9001 certificates, certificates of incorporation and, where relevant, its authorisation to the supplier for the Indian market^[42].

Who has done it. On 1 November 2026 BIS's list of CCTV registrations meeting the security requirements had 84 entries: 59 from Indian factories, 6 from Taiwan, 5 from China and the rest from nine other countries^[44]. Ask your supplier whether its model is on that list before you place an order.

STQC certificate versus BIS licence. STQC's own certificate of approval is issued for three years, subject to surveillance audit^[42]. It is not the BIS registration: the camera still needs a CRS licence and Standard Mark^[3]. Our essential requirements glossary entry explains the term.

Safety testing to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 runs from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,99,000 at recognised labs, with a median of about Rs 1,25,000, excluding taxes^[45]; the security evaluation is quoted separately and we found no published price for it. Labs on the old IS 13252 (Part 1) charge less, from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000 with a median of about Rs 63,750^[46], but that standard is being phased out^[2].

All 46 labs listed for the 2023 edition of IS/IEC 62368-1 are in India^[47], so samples from an overseas factory must be shipped in. One lab's breakup shows the scope: Vimta Labs in Hyderabad declares Rs 80,000, priced across electrically-caused injury and fire, hazardous substances, mechanical injury, thermal burn and radiation^[45]. For reference, MeitY's maximum surveillance test charge for CCTV cameras is Rs 45,500^[48].

See our BIS labs directory, the CRS test labs guide, the IS/IEC 62368-1 guide and how to read a BIS test report.

CCTV rules changed more than any other CRS product in the last three years: a security requirement, a new safety standard and new licence terms. The dated list below is what a CCTV importer should know; the full log is on new rules for 2026 and the electronics CRS order page.

Wireless cameras: likely yes. Wired cameras: likely no. ETA is issued by the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunications and is needed to import, sell and use wireless devices that operate in de-licensed bands or involve RF transmission^[5]. Cameras are among the finished products listed for the self-declaration ETA route^[5]. On our reading of the 2024 WPC order, a wired CCTV camera needs no ETA, while Wi-Fi and 4G cameras do^[14].

How it works. Since 9 September 2024, all ETAs for licence-exempt wireless devices are granted on self-declaration through the Saral Sanchar portal, and the certificate is downloaded on submission^[15]. You need an RF test report, the manufacturer's authorisation if you are the Indian representative, and technical literature^[5]. The lab can be in any country^[50]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[5], and the ETA lasts for the life of the model unless WPC revokes it^[5].

4G cameras. We have not verified whether a camera with a cellular modem is treated differently from a Wi-Fi camera under telecom rules. Check before importing 4G models in volume.

The 2026 transition. DoT has stopped taking new applications under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Authorisations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 moved to the eservices.dot.gov.in portal from 25 June 2026, and Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation from 6 August 2026^[49]. Whether this changes the ETA self-declaration route has not been confirmed: the route is still listed on the portal^[51].

ETA covers radio compliance only. It does not replace BIS, and the holder is still responsible for DGFT import rules^[15]. See WPC ETA.

MTCTE: no, on the current list. The current MTCTE list of notified products does not include CCTV or IP cameras as a product category^[6]. Separately, S.O. 2372(E) of 24 May 2022 exempts "smart cameras" from prior mandatory testing and certification^[16]. That exemption still stands: the 2025 telecom conformity rules keep existing exemptions until a new notification replaces them^[52]. Our product research reads these together as "no MTCTE for CCTV cameras"^[16]. If you bundle a router, switch or 4G gateway with a camera kit, that item may need MTCTE in its own right; see our Wi-Fi router guide.

BEE: no. CCTV cameras do not appear on either the mandatory or the voluntary appliance list on the BEE Star Label portal^[7]. There is no star label to apply for.

You very likely need e-waste EPR registration. Under the E-Waste Rules 2022, anyone who offers to sell imported electrical and electronic equipment is a "producer"^[17]. Producers must register on CPCB's portal and may not do business without registration^[8]. The rules exclude micro enterprises under the MSMED Act^[8], so a registered micro enterprise should check whether that exclusion covers it.

The code is not settled. Schedule I does not name CCTV cameras as a separate item^[8]. The nearest entry is "Video cameras", code CEEW9^[8]. Our product research maps CCTV cameras to CEEW9 and recorders to CEEW10, "Video Recorders"^[17], but that mapping is not an official CPCB ruling. Confirm the code CPCB's portal accepts before you file.

What it costs and involves. The registration fee is Rs 10,000 for a producer whose sales have just started, and otherwise set by your recycling target, from Rs 2,500 upwards^[19], plus a Rs 5,000 annual maintenance charge^[19]. Registration lasts five years^[19]. You need sales data by weight and a RoHS self-declaration^[19]. The target for 2026-27 is 70% of the weight you placed on the market in the year set by the product's average life^[8]; new producers with a short sales history use the Schedule IV target instead^[8]. You meet it only by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers^[8]. For CEEW products, CPCB's environmental compensation is Rs 74 per kg, with a floor certificate price of Rs 22 per kg^[53].

Cameras imported for sale must also meet India's RoHS limits on lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances^[8]. See e-waste EPR.

It depends on the battery. On our reading of the battery rules, mains-powered CCTV cameras have no battery and bring no battery obligation; battery-powered cameras, and cameras with a backup battery, do^[20]. The Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 apply to all batteries whatever their chemistry or size, and anyone who imports equipment containing batteries is a producer^[20][21].

What registration involves. Importers of batteries and of equipment containing batteries must register with CPCB before importing^[37]. Registration is on Form 1(A) through the online portal and, since 2023, stays valid until cancelled^[21]. The fee depends on turnover: Rs 10,000 under Rs 5 crore, Rs 20,000 between Rs 5 and 50 crore, and Rs 40,000 above^[22]. CPCB must register you within two weeks of a complete application^[21].

Your yearly obligation. For rechargeable portable batteries in consumer electronics, the collection target from 2024-25 is 70% of the batteries you placed on the market five years earlier, with 100% of what is collected recycled or refurbished^[54]. You meet it by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers, separately for each chemistry^[54]. You file Form 1(C) with quantities imported by 30 June each year^[21] and an annual return in Form 3^[54]. The FY 2025-26 return deadline was extended to 30 November 2026^[55].

Battery EPR is separate from e-waste EPR. Waste batteries are excluded from the E-Waste Rules and handled under the battery rules^[8], so the battery inside your camera is its own obligation. See battery EPR.

Yes, in almost every case. The importer of CCTV cameras sold in plastic packaging counts as an "importer" under the Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging and needs plastic EPR registration^[9]. The 2024 definition covers anyone who imports, for commercial use, any commodity with plastic packaging^[36]. The micro and small enterprise carve-out in the rules is written for producers and brand owners, not importers^[36].

What it involves:

• Registration. Register on CPCB's centralised EPR portal. If you operate in more than two states, CPCB registers you; in one or two states, the State Pollution Control Board does^[23]. Each sub-category and each state is a separate registration^[23]. KYC is PAN, GST and CIN of the company plus the Aadhaar and PAN of the authorised person^[23].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 if you generate under 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year, Rs 20,000 up to 10,000 TPA and Rs 50,000 above that^[24]. You also pay 25% of the application fee each year when you file returns^[24].
• Target. From 2023-24 the target is 100% of your eligible quantity of packaging^[23]. For an importer, the eligible quantity is based on the average packaging imported and sold over the last two years, plus pre-consumer waste, minus what you supplied to brand owners^[23]. Rigid trays and flexible film are different categories^[36].
• Returns. Annual returns are due by 30 June of the next financial year^[36].

See our full guide to plastic packaging EPR.

Yes, if you import CCTV cameras in retail packs. Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 requires every person who pre-packs or imports any commodity for sale, distribution or delivery to apply for registration^[10]. Based on the importer registration form used by states, CCTV cameras imported as pre-packaged retail units appear to need this registration and the declarations on the pack^[25]. (We could not read the current consolidated rules text.)

How it works:

• Where. Apply to the State Controller of Legal Metrology or the Director of Legal Metrology^[10]. The application gives your name, the full address of the premises where you import, and the commodities you import^[10]. Since 29 May 2026 a company must also name the director responsible for compliance^[26].
• When. Within 90 days of starting to import^[10].
• Fee. Rs 500^[10], and Rs 100 for any later change to the certificate^[10].
• Validity. The certificate now stays valid until cancelled^[26], but a 2026 proviso asks companies to update details every year on the online portal, including products, quantities imported and country of origin^[26].

B2B shipments. Packaged goods meant for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[56]. Cameras sold to system integrators may fall under this exemption, but only if they are genuinely packed and sold for institutional use. Retail packs sold to consumers, online or offline, are not.

BIS Standard Mark. The mark must carry the IS number and the R-number from the registration^[38]. It goes on the product, the package or both, and must be legible, indelible and non-removable^[38]. The IS number, R-number and words must be no smaller than Arial size 6^[38]. Add www.bis.gov.in^[57] and the details the Indian Standard requires, such as model number, batch, date of manufacture and the full manufacturer address^[38]. Mark the product and the box where you can; a small camera may carry it on the packaging only^[58].

Legal Metrology declarations. Every retail pack needs the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, country of origin, common name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer care details^[56]. Consumer care details must include an address and phone number, and an e-mail address (the 2011 rule text says 'if available')^[10].

Plastic EPR marking. Rule 11 requires plastic packaging to show the producer's or brand owner's name and registration number, and a clause added in 2022 applies this to importers. The same rule also has a proviso exempting packaging of imported goods, so the text conflicts^[59]. Since 1 July 2025 you may instead give this information in a QR code or barcode^[60]. We suggest printing your registration number or QR code until CPCB clarifies.

Battery marking (battery models). The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol^[54] and your battery EPR registration number. For imported batteries, the number can go on the camera or its box^[61], or in a QR code^[62].

More detail: BIS CRS labelling.

Tick each line for the camera, the recorder, the adaptor and the box. Paste your text into the label checker, and see the product label checklist, CRS labelling rules and Legal Metrology label rules.

The factory holds the BIS licence and prepares the security file, the importer handles EPR, ETA and Legal Metrology, and installers and sellers are liable for supplying unregistered cameras. Directors and the authorised representative of a company can be deemed guilty along with it^[11], so the AIR role is not a formality. See foreign manufacturers, Amazon sellers and the authorised Indian representative entry.

Scenario: a first-time importer brings in one mains-powered Wi-Fi dome camera model from one factory, under its own brand. Only official fees are counted, and the arithmetic is ours.

Not included, because they are not government fees: lab testing (including the security test), the RF test report, AIR and consultant charges, and EPR certificates bought from recyclers, which trade within a CPCB price band^[64].

One Wi-Fi camera model costs about Rs 2.15 lakh in official fees and median safety-lab charges; three models cost about Rs 5.25 lakh, before the security evaluation, which has no published price. Assumptions: one brand, a new importer, each model its own lead model, tested to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 at the LIMS median. All totals are our arithmetic. Models in one series can share a report and cut the BIS and lab lines. Run your own range in the compliance cost estimator or the BIS CRS fee calculator; see also the cost of importing electronics.

Once safety and security reports are ready, BIS targets 20 working days; the security evaluation adds a document review and witnessed tests and has no published time limit^[42]. The official limits are below; how long BIS registration takes explains where time goes.

1. First-time importer of IP cameras from China. A Delhi installer wants 2,000 IP bullet cameras under its own brand. The Chinese factory already has a CRS licence for its own brand, but that does not cover the installer's brand: a separate application is needed unless the brand owner is the same^[12]. The factory files with the installer as AIR, which means the installer takes on legal responsibility; under section 30 of the BIS Act, an authorised representative can be deemed guilty along with the company^[11]. CCTV cameras and recorders are tested to ER 01:2024 (essential security requirements) alongside IS/IEC 62368-1:2023^[1]. The installer registers for e-waste and plastic EPR and with Legal Metrology before the first shipment.

2. Marketplace seller of Wi-Fi home cameras. An online seller imports a Wi-Fi camera with a rechargeable battery. On top of BIS, it needs an ETA (Rs 10,000 per model^[5]) and battery EPR registration^[21]. Marketplace listings must display the mandatory Legal Metrology declarations; this duty on e-commerce sites has been reported since a 2017 amendment^[63].

3. Foreign camera brand entering India. A European brand with factories in Vietnam and Taiwan needs one CRS licence per factory^[3] and an Indian AIR. An AIR may represent only one foreign manufacturer, unless the manufacturers are in the same group or the AIR is a related importer^[66]. Its Indian subsidiary can be AIR for both group factories.

• R-number does not match the model or brand. The Standard Mark must carry the registration number for that licence^[38]. A model or brand not covered by the licence is an unregistered product.
• Security requirement not tested. An IP camera tested to the safety standard only, without the ER 01:2024 security tests^[1], is not compliant.
• Adaptor not registered. The camera's power adaptor is a separate CRS category^[28]. An unregistered adaptor in the box breaches the CRS rules in its own right^[3].
• No ETA for the Wi-Fi model. Customs may accept the importer's self-declaration as evidence for licence-exempt wireless products^[5]; without it, a wireless camera has no proof of WPC compliance.
• EPR registration not shown. CPCB has asked Customs to check battery EPR registration when clearing battery-powered equipment^[67] and plastic EPR registration for importers' consignments^[68].
• Labels missing on arrival. Since May 2026, importers may complete the Legal Metrology declarations in AEO Tier-2 or Tier-3 bonded warehouses before the goods leave^[26]. Otherwise, labels should be on the packs when they land.

MeitY's surveillance buys cameras from the market and tests them, Customs samples consignments, and BIS can search warehouses.

Market surveillance. Every R-number must be registered on STPI's surveillance portal with model, channel and MRP details^[69]. STPI buys samples from shops or sites such as Amazon and Flipkart^[70], and the listed maximum test charge for CCTV cameras is Rs 45,500^[48]. Fees unpaid after 15 working days send the case to BIS for deferment or cancellation^[71]. See CRS surveillance.

At the port. A CBIC instruction reportedly requires a BIS registration check on every consignment under the electronics order, with random sampling^[72]. Keep the customs clearance documents ready, and read why shipments get held.

Search and seizure. BIS officers can search premises and seize goods involved in a section 17 breach^[73]. What follows is in selling without BIS.

These are the penalties most likely to hit a CCTV importer. Paying EPR compensation does not cancel the EPR obligation^[8].