An electronics importer may receive a supplier’s BIS certificate, match the brand name and assume a shipment of CCTV cameras is ready for India. The problem often appears only when someone checks deeper: the manufacturing site may differ, the imported model may not be in the approved scope, or an IP camera may have safety testing but no valid Security ER coverage.
BIS CRS registration for CCTV cameras is mandatory where the product falls within the notified CCTV category. BIS currently lists CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders under Scheme II against IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023. However, a transition from the earlier IS 13252 Part 1:2010 remains open until 1 November 2028. IP-based CCTV cameras also have an additional Security ER requirement, while analog CCTV cameras have been specifically exempted from that security testing.
For a business planning manufacture or import, the right first step is therefore not simply “apply for BIS”. The first step is to classify the exact product, camera architecture, manufacturing location, brand, model family, SoC and firmware before samples are committed to testing.
Yes, CCTV Cameras and CCTV Recorders are expressly included in the list of Electronics and IT Goods covered under the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme. The current BIS Scheme II table lists them at serial number 41 and shows IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 as the applicable safety standard.
Scheme II is a conformity-assessment route based on registration and self-declaration of conformity supported by third-party testing. The 2026 regulations require the manufacturer to identify the relevant Indian Standard or notified essential requirements, the models and brand, and to submit conforming test reports from an eligible third-party laboratory.
This means a business should confirm compliance before commercial manufacture for the Indian market, import planning or sale rather than treating the certificate as a post-shipment formality.
There is also an important distinction between the notified CCTV category and the broader phrase “security electronics”. A video doorbell, alarm panel, access-control terminal, biometric device, router, display or power adapter should not automatically be placed under the CCTV registration merely because it forms part of a security system. Its own technical function and notified product category must be examined separately.
The initial applicability review should classify the device according to what it actually does.
| Product | Initial BIS approach |
|---|---|
| CCTV camera | Check Scheme II CCTV category and safety standard |
| IP/network CCTV camera | Safety CRS + applicable CCTV Security ER |
| Analog CCTV camera | Safety CRS; Security ER exemption applies |
| CCTV recorder | Covered within CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders safety category; do not automatically assume the camera-specific Security ER applies |
| Power adapter supplied separately | Check the relevant power-adapter CRS category separately |
| Monitor/display | Check the applicable display/monitor category separately |
| Biometric/access-control/security device | Conduct separate BIS product-scope assessment |
The distinction concerning recorders is particularly important. The BIS 2026 migration table lists the combined product category as “CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders”, but identifies the additional Security ER specifically for IP-based CCTV Cameras. Businesses should therefore avoid extending a camera-specific security requirement to every recorder without checking the current notification and portal scope for the exact product.
This is where many older online guides are now incomplete.
MeitY notified the migration from IS 13252 Part 1:2010 to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 through S.O. 4997(E). BIS subsequently issued implementation guidelines on 9 March 2026. For CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders, the earlier and revised safety standards are permitted to run concurrently until 1 November 2028. After that date, IS 13252 Part 1:2010 is to stand withdrawn for these affected categories.
| Requirement | Position as of 1 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Earlier safety standard | IS 13252 Part 1:2010 |
| Revised safety standard | IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 |
| Concurrent-running deadline | 1 November 2028 |
| New application during transition | Old or revised standard may be used subject to BIS migration requirements |
| After transition | Old standard cannot support a new licence |
| Existing old-standard licensee | Must migrate by the transition deadline |
BIS states that new applications recorded during the transition can be processed under the earlier standard or IS/IEC 62368-1:2023. Where the earlier standard is used, the applicant must undertake to implement the revised standard before the end of the concurrent period.
For a new product programme launching in 2026, it is usually commercially sensible to assess testing directly against IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 rather than building a new portfolio around a standard that must be migrated before November 2028.
That is a practical recommendation, not an assertion that the older route is already invalid. The official BIS transition currently allows both routes during the concurrent period.
MeitY introduced separate Essential Requirement(s) for Security of CCTV in 2024. BIS describes the security areas as including matters such as physical interfaces, authentication and access control, network security, firmware/software security and penetration testing.
The implementation date was extended to 9 April 2025. BIS’s implementation instructions state that beyond that date new applicable CCTV camera licences cannot be granted without compliance with the Security ER.
But there is a crucial exception.
BIS issued a circular on 1 April 2025 following a MeitY clarification. It states that the Security ER is not applicable to Analog CCTV Cameras. For applications after 9 April 2025, BIS’s table distinguishes:
BIS also instructed applicants not to combine analog and other-than-analog camera types in one application or inclusion ID.
Step 1: Is the product actually a CCTV camera?
If no, map it to its own notified category.
If yes, determine whether it is analog or IP/non-analog.
Step 2: Analog camera?
If yes, Security ER exemption applies. The applicable safety standard still has to be satisfied.
Step 3: IP or other non-analog camera?
Plan for both the applicable safety standard and the CCTV Security ER.
Step 4: Is it a recorder rather than a camera?
It remains within the notified CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders safety category, but confirm the specific ER position rather than automatically applying the IP-camera ER.
Step 5: Is this a new 2026 programme?
Evaluate whether proceeding directly under IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 is preferable to registering under the transition standard and migrating later.
For many CRS products, businesses naturally want to test one representative model and cover related variants. CCTV security requirements make that exercise particularly technical.
The BIS CCTV series guidelines state that products within one security series must use the same System-on-Chip (SoC). Security-related PCBA layout also has to remain identical, although some variations in housing, lens, mounting, interface boards/pins and connectors are allowed. Communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Ethernet must remain consistent across the series.
The guidelines go further into software.
Products in the same security series must use identical software/firmware versions with matching hash values, including major, minor and build versions. Where multiple software versions are used, BIS’s series guideline states that each version must be tested separately as an independent series.
This makes model planning a regulatory exercise, not just a marketing exercise.
Before sending samples, prepare a table containing:
| Parameter | Model A | Model B | Model C |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoC make/model | |||
| Security-related PCBA | |||
| Wi-Fi | |||
| Bluetooth | |||
| Ethernet | |||
| Firmware version | |||
| Firmware hash | |||
| Hardware BoM | |||
| Software BoM | |||
| Lens/sensor differences | |||
| Intended lead model |
A model that looks identical externally may not belong in the same ER series if the chipset, network stack or firmware differs.
The notified Essential Requirement(s) goes beyond ordinary electrical safety. It addresses security characteristics relevant to connected surveillance equipment, including exposed services and communication protocols, physical access to interfaces such as UART/JTAG/SWD, protection of firmware and memory, firmware-update security, authentication, access control, encrypted communications and resistance to security attacks.
BIS’s series guidelines consequently require detailed technical traceability. Security test documentation can involve:
BIS states that the Security ER test report must indicate the lead model, series models, similarities and differences, including software and hardware BoM information.
Under Scheme II, the manufacturer is the central licence holder. The licence is tied to a manufacturing premise, product, brand and approved model scope rather than being a generic import licence owned by every trader bringing the product into India. The current Scheme II application form specifically asks for the manufacturing-unit address, Indian representative where relevant, product category, model numbers and brand name.
| Party | Main responsibility |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Applicant/licensee, product conformity, testing, model scope and continuing compliance |
| Foreign manufacturer | Applicant/licensee plus nomination of an Indian representative |
| Authorized Indian Representative | Indian point of responsibility/representation for the foreign manufacturer under Scheme II |
| Importer | Verify that the exact product, brand, model and manufacturing site being imported are validly covered |
| Brand owner | Provide valid brand/trademark authorization where the manufacturer does not own the brand |
| Testing laboratory | Test the selected samples against applicable safety standard/ER and correctly identify the models represented |
For foreign CCTV manufacturers, a common mistake is assuming that any overseas manufacturer automatically follows FMCS.
That is not correct for MeitY-notified Electronics and IT Goods. BIS states that FMCS applies to products except Electronics & IT Goods notified by MeitY, while Scheme II expressly provides for nomination of an Indian representative for foreign manufacturers.
Under the revised 2026 framework, Scheme II is classified as a conformity-assessment scheme without assessment at site for the grant of licence. That distinguishes CRS from BIS pathways where factory assessment forms part of the certification process.
That does not mean there is no continuing oversight.
The Scheme II regulations permit BIS to draw samples from the market or while goods are in transit and send them to a third-party laboratory. Where market sampling is not possible, samples can also be drawn from the dispatch point.
Accordingly, the practical distinction is:
No routine pre-grant factory inspection under Scheme II does not mean no post-licence surveillance.
The testing plan should be finalized only after the product and model family have been mapped.
For the safety portion, testing must establish conformity with the selected standard applicable during the transition. For an IP-based CCTV camera, the Security ER requirement must also be incorporated into the compliance plan. BIS’s revised Scheme II requires the manufacturer to submit reports issued by a qualifying third-party laboratory in accordance with applicable sampling guidelines.
The CRS portal instructions also state that the test report used for an application should not be more than 90 days old at the time of online submission.
That 90-day rule has an important commercial consequence: do not test too early while the company is still resolving brand ownership, factory-address evidence, AIR documents or model grouping.
Confirm that the device falls within CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders rather than another notified electronics category.
For a camera, classify it as analog or non-analog/IP for Security ER purposes.
For the current transition period, determine whether the project will proceed under IS 13252 Part 1:2010 or directly under IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.
A new product should also be planned around the mandatory migration deadline of 1 November 2028.
Before lab submission, map:
This is especially important for IP cameras subject to Security ER.
Apply the relevant safety and Security ER series rules to determine which representative models require testing.
For connected CCTV cameras, selecting the wrong lead model can create unnecessary retesting or prevent intended variants from being covered.
Samples are tested against the applicable Indian Standard, relevant Security ER, or both.
The test-report content must align with the final application details.
The revised Scheme II requires details including manufacturer/manufacturing premises, brand, model numbers, applicable standard or essential requirements, affidavits and the Indian representative in foreign-manufacturer cases.
The CRS application should be submitted within the applicable test-report validity window. Current BIS CRS instructions retain the 90-day filing rule.
If the information or test report does not align, the business should address the specific discrepancy rather than changing model information casually after testing.
Once the licence is granted, verify the manufacturing unit, brand, Indian Standard/ER and every model appearing within the approved scope.
The 2026 Scheme II requires the Standard Mark and licence number to be displayed in the prescribed manner, along with the applicable Indian Standard or essential requirements as specified by the licence. Product details may also have to appear on the product, packaging or attached label as applicable.
The final portal checklist should always be checked at filing time, but a CCTV applicant should normally have the following groups of information ready.
Manufacturing-unit identification and address evidence, office details, responsible management/contact information and required declarations or affidavits under Scheme II.
Trademark/brand ownership evidence or the appropriate authorization where the manufacturer uses a third party’s brand.
Exact product name, model list, ratings, technical description and component/raw-material details required for the application.
Complete test reports against the applicable safety standard and, for applicable IP cameras, the Security ER.
Nomination of the Indian representative plus the applicable affidavit/undertaking forms.
For applicable CCTV cameras, prepare the SoC details, PCBA information, communication protocols, firmware version/hash, hardware BoM, software BoM and series-model comparison records before testing rather than assembling them after the laboratory raises questions.
A major 2026 regulatory change is the revised Scheme II fee structure.
Under the current BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations, the prescribed Scheme II fees include the following:
| BIS fee component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | ₹1,000 |
| Annual licence fee | ₹1,000 |
| Renewal application fee | ₹1,000 |
| Processing fee | ₹25,000 per year per application |
| Each additional test report | ₹20,000 |
| Inclusion of new varieties/models or extension of scope | ₹30,000 per application |
| Specified post-grant service requests | ₹5,000 per request |
The regulations also provide processing-fee concessions up to 31 May 2029 of 80% for qualifying micro enterprises/start-ups, 50% for qualifying small enterprises and 20% for qualifying medium enterprises.
Businesses should separately budget for:
Laboratory charges are not one universal BIS registration fee. They depend on the laboratory, test scope, product design and number of samples, so an all-inclusive “fixed CCTV BIS cost” should not be presented without an actual product assessment.
There is no reliable one-size-fits-all end-to-end period that should be promised for a CCTV project.
Total completion depends on several independent stages: model grouping, sample availability, laboratory capacity, safety-test results, Security ER testing where applicable, document readiness, foreign-manufacturer/AIR documentation and any BIS clarification cycle.
The most useful planning rule is therefore sequence rather than a promised number of days:
Finalize product and brand details → finalize model series → complete laboratory testing → file before the report-age limit is reached → respond to observations → verify the final licence scope.
A business should not set its shipment date based on an unverified consultant promise of “BIS in 10 days” or “guaranteed approval”.
This is another area where older online articles are now unreliable.
Following the 2026 amendment to the BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations, a Scheme II licence may initially be granted for up to five years and may be renewed for a further period of up to five years. The prescribed fee is paid annually, and the regulations also refer to submission of the production statement.
The renewal application is to be made before three months of expiry.
That means manufacturers should maintain a compliance calendar containing at least:
This issue is unusually important for IP CCTV products.
A marketing team may consider firmware v2.1 a routine software update. From a Security ER standpoint, however, firmware identity is part of the product-series architecture.
BIS’s CCTV series guidelines state that products within the same series must have identical software/firmware versions with matching hash values. Multiple software versions are to be tested as separate series.
Similarly, changes involving the SoC, security-relevant PCBA, communication functions or security-impacting BoM components should trigger a compliance review before the revised model is placed under an existing BIS scope.
Before releasing an updated CCTV model, ask:
Has the SoC changed?
If yes, do not assume existing ER coverage remains valid.
Has the security-related PCBA layout changed?
Review series eligibility.
Have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet or other communications changed?
Review the applicable series rule.
Has the firmware version or hash changed?
Treat this as a significant Security ER review point.
Has only housing, lens or another permitted non-security characteristic changed?
It may remain within a series, subject to the complete BIS grouping criteria.
This review should happen at engineering-change-control stage, not after a shipment has been produced.
The most preventable problems are usually alignment problems rather than complicated legal questions.
A manufacturer should watch particularly for:
The analog/non-analog split, model-series requirements and 90-day report rule are all specifically reflected in current BIS guidance.
Before paying for testing, a manufacturer or importer should be able to answer all of the following:
| Question | Ready? |
|---|---|
| Is the product definitely within CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders? | Yes / No |
| Camera or recorder? | |
| If camera, analog or IP/non-analog? | |
| Selected safety standard confirmed? | |
| 2028 migration strategy documented? | |
| Security ER applicable? | |
| Manufacturing location frozen? | |
| Brand ownership/authorization ready? | |
| All intended model numbers finalized? | |
| SoC mapping completed? | |
| PCBA comparison completed? | |
| Protocol comparison completed? | |
| Firmware versions and hashes frozen? | |
| Hardware BoM available? | |
| Software BoM available? | |
| Lead model selection reviewed? | |
| AIR nominated if the manufacturer is outside India? | |
| Sample availability confirmed? | |
| Packaging/marking plan reviewed? |
If several answers remain “No”, proceeding immediately to laboratory testing can create avoidable repeat work.
An importer receives an IS 13252 Part 1:2010-based BIS document from a foreign supplier and plans a new batch of IP cameras.
The correct review is not simply to check whether an R-number exists.
The importer should verify the manufacturing site, brand and exact model coverage, and confirm Security ER compliance for the relevant IP camera models. Because the project is being reviewed during the 62368 transition, the manufacturer should also have a documented plan for migrating the affected portfolio before 1 November 2028.
This is an illustrative example, not a Green Permits client case.
A manufacturer has four cameras that use identical housings and lenses and assumes that one security test will cover the entire range.
Technical review shows that two models use one SoC and firmware hash, while the other two use another chipset and a different software build.
External appearance is not enough to establish one security series. BIS’s CCTV guidance makes the SoC, security-relevant PCBA, communication functions and firmware/hash central to series determination.
The model family should therefore be regrouped before samples are sent for Security ER testing.
BIS CRS should be treated as one part of product-entry planning rather than evidence that every other Indian regulatory requirement has been satisfied.
Depending on the exact CCTV configuration and business model, the compliance team should separately screen matters such as radio/wireless approvals, e-waste obligations, batteries, packaged-commodity labelling and import requirements.
These should not be described as automatically applicable merely because the product is a CCTV camera. Each requirement has its own scope and applicant definition.
Yes. CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders are included in the current BIS Scheme II list. BIS currently displays IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 against the category.
The revised standard is IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023. However, IS 13252 Part 1:2010 continues to run concurrently for affected CCTV products until 1 November 2028 under the migration arrangement.
As of September 2026, BIS’s migration guidelines permit new applications to be processed under the earlier standard or IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 during the concurrent period. The older route ends with the migration deadline, and applicants using it must commit to implementing the revised standard.
No. BIS’s 1 April 2025 circular states that the CCTV Security ER is not applicable to Analog CCTV Cameras.
The BIS migration guidelines identify the Security ER for IP-based CCTV Cameras, in addition to the applicable safety standard.
Yes. The current Scheme II product list expressly names CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders.
The official migration table identifies Security ER specifically for IP-based CCTV Cameras within the CCTV Cameras/CCTV Recorders product category. A recorder should therefore be assessed against its current notified requirements rather than automatically assuming the camera-specific ER applies.
Not automatically. Model grouping depends on the applicable series guidelines. For Security ER, BIS requires consistency in areas such as SoC, security-related PCBA, communication protocols and firmware/hash, subject to specified permitted variations.
For MeitY-notified Electronics and IT Goods such as CCTV products under CRS, the route is Scheme II. BIS states that FMCS applies to products except Electronics and IT Goods notified by MeitY. Foreign Scheme II manufacturers nominate an Indian representative.
Scheme II is categorized under the revised BIS framework as a scheme without site assessment for grant. BIS nevertheless retains surveillance powers, including market or in-transit sample testing.
Current CRS instructions state that the report should not be older than 90 days at the date of online submission.
Under the revised Scheme II rules introduced in 2026, the licence may initially be granted for up to five years and renewed for a further period of up to five years, with annual fee obligations.
The most useful compliance work often happens before the laboratory receives the sample.
A proper review should confirm the notified product category, analog/IP classification, applicable safety-standard pathway, ER applicability, model-series architecture, manufacturing location, brand documentation and foreign-manufacturer representation. For IP cameras, firmware and SoC decisions should ideally be frozen before testing.
Green Permits can support manufacturers, foreign brands and importers with product applicability assessment, testing coordination, model-series review, AIR documentation, application preparation, model inclusion and post-licence compliance.
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