- Amazon and Flipkart review security cameras lacking mandatory Indian regulatory approvals
- Over 700 of 770 listed internet-enabled cameras on these platforms lacked BIS certification
- India mandated testing for surveillance cameras in April amid data security concerns
Amazon and Walmart-backed Flipkart are scrutinising security camera products listed on their Indian marketplaces after a report claimed that hundreds of internet-enabled surveillance devices that appeared to lack mandatory regulatory clearances in India.
The two online marketplaces are reviewing surveillance cameras sold by independent merchants and manufacturers, and products found to be missing the required regulatory certification could be removed from their platforms, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
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The news agency, in its investigation, had found that more than 700 of around 770 internet-enabled security camera listings on Amazon and Flipkart were for models whose brands or cameras did not appear in the Bureau of Indian Standards' (BIS) public database of approved products.
India introduced mandatory testing requirements for surveillance cameras in April, requiring manufacturers to submit their hardware and software for evaluation before selling internet-enabled cameras in the country.
The rules were first announced in 2024 amid concerns over the potential transfer of sensitive footage outside India.
The issue has raised cybersecurity concerns as security cameras are increasingly deployed across homes, businesses and sensitive locations.
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India's concerns over surveillance risks have also intensified following a Delhi Police investigation in April that uncovered a Pakistan-linked espionage network allegedly using Chinese-made SIM-enabled CCTV cameras near military installations in northern India to transmit live footage.
At least a dozen camera listings were removed from Amazon and Flipkart after Reuters began examining the products.
These included two models from Hikvision's EZVIZ brand, which Amazon subsequently showed as unavailable.
Reuters also identified at least eight unlicensed Wi-Fi camera models from Hikvision and Dahua on Amazon. The two Chinese companies together accounted for around 30% of India's security camera market, according to Counterpoint Research.
Another company, Maizic Smarthomes, had 138 Wi-Fi camera listings on Amazon, including cameras integrated into light bulbs, none of which appeared in the BIS database of approved products.
Maizic co-founder Santosh Kumar Singh reportedly said the company had disabled Wi-Fi functionality that enabled remote live streaming while it sought government approval. He later said cameras requiring regulatory clearance had been removed from e-commerce platforms pending approval.
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