Duty on CCTV cameras may deal blow to e-surveillance

LUCKNOW: The proposal to increase customs duty on CCTV cam eras and digital video recorders (DVRs) is threatening to burn a hole in the pocket of city residents who are already grappling with a rise in incidents of burglary and theft.

Dealers say the surveillance system business in the city is annually worth around Rs 5 crore. On an average, over 3,000 CCTV cameras, along with items like DVRs, monitors, hard discs and cables needed to operate them, are sold.
Around 90% buyers go for basic models costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 20,000. These are made in India and the customs duty hike will have no impact on them. However, accessories required to run these cameras are mostly imported ones. Hence, their cost will increase, resulting in an additional financial burden of around Rs 500-2,000 per item.
On the other hand, 10% buyers, mostly government and private establishments like apartments, banks and malls, opt for artificial intelligence-based high-end CCTV cameras imported from the US and Japan. They cost between Rs 90,000 and Rs 5 lakh each.
“The demand for surveillance systems increased at a rate of 10% till 2018. However, this year, we have seen an increase of 25% because more people are becoming aware of personal security amid a spurt in burglaries. The camera is a cheaper option for them in comparison to employing security guards,” said Anil Kumar Srivastava, a dealer in Nishatganj.
A dealer of high-end CCTV cameras, Aniket Juneja said after the spate of burglaries in Gomtinagar, not just apartment residents, but also restaurants and shops were installing surveillance systems. “This year alone, we have supplied around 150 AI-based CCTV cameras.”
Usman Rizvi — a leading provider of security solutions — said in two years, the cost of hiring private security guards had increased by four times, as a result more people were buying surveillance cameras.