Amazon and Flipkart review unlicensed security camera listings in India
Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart are reviewing internet-enabled surveillance camera listings on their Indian platforms after Reuters found more than 700 of roughly 770 listings lacked mandatory government certification. The checks follow strict testing rules imposed in April 2026 amid espionage concern
NEW DELHI — Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart have begun reviewing internet-enabled surveillance camera listings on their Indian e-commerce platforms after Reuters discovered hundreds of unlicensed products being offered for sale despite strict government testing rules imposed six months ago. The two companies, which dominate online shopping in India, are checking listings by third-party sellers and brands; any without government approval will be removed, two people familiar with the checks said.
A Reuters analysis this week found more than 700 of roughly 770 internet security camera listings on Amazon and Flipkart were for models not on the Bureau of Indian Standards' public database of approved brands or cameras. Since April, surveillance camera manufacturers have been required to submit hardware and software for testing to obtain certification from the bureau before they can sell equipment in India.
The rules, first announced in 2024, reflect growing concern in New Delhi that sensitive footage could be transferred abroad. In April, the Delhi police said they had uncovered a Pakistan-linked spying network that used Chinese-made SIM-enabled CCTVs near military sites in northern India to send live footage to handlers in Pakistan.
Gulshan Rai, who served as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cybersecurity chief from 2015 to 2019, called unapproved sales online a "serious concern". "A compromised camera can become both a surveillance risk and a cybersecurity entry point," he told Reuters.
Since Tuesday, at least a dozen listings have been removed from the platforms, including at least two models from Hikvision's EZVIZ brand, which Amazon now shows as "currently unavailable". Hikvision and Zhejiang Dahua Technology had 30 per cent of the Indian security camera market, Counterpoint Research told Reuters last year. The companies did not respond to requests for comment.
Reuters found at least eight unlicensed WiFi camera models from Hikvision and Dahua on Amazon. The US has barred its government agencies from buying some of their equipment over Beijing-related security concerns. Other listings included Maizic Smarthomes, which describes itself as India's best-selling AI security brand; none of its 138 "wifi camera" offerings on Amazon, including some slotted inside bulbs, had Indian approval, the standards bureau's website showed.
In July, a confidential email reviewed by Reuters showed Amazon told one seller it was removing its camera listing for not having the necessary approval marks, following a complaint by Sujatha Thammadi, the standards bureau's head of registration. Hundreds of listings remained online as of Thursday. Amazon, in an email, declined to comment, while Flipkart did not respond to Reuters queries.
