Can India lead the next generation of intelligent security technologies? – Sparsh CCTV Founder Sanjeev Sehgal in an exclusive interview

Sparsh CCTV is one of the top brands from India, an increasingly mature growth market for physical security product for many years, and more recently also a country of exciting technology development. When the government last year introduced ambitious new cybersecurity and domestic sourcing rules under the STQC, Sparsh led the way in getting certified, before any other domestic or international brand.
 
asmag had the opportunity to talk to Sanjeev Sehgal, Founder and Managing Director, Sparsh CCTV, about his company’s decisive steps beyond manufacturing and the dynamics in the Indian and international markets that enable robust growth at the technology leader.
 
asmag: You’re now a member of the ONVIF Communications Committee and your company is expanding from video security hardware into platform plays and AI. This shows Sparsh CCTV is taking decisive steps beyond where it used to be—into new markets, into more comprehensive solutions. This begs the question: Will video security “Made-in-India” become a household name internationally?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: Absolutely. I believe the conversation has already shifted from whether India can manufacture surveillance products to whether India can lead the next generation of intelligent security technologies.
 
For many years, the global surveillance industry was largely driven by manufacturing scale. Today, customers are looking for something much broader, including but not limited to trusted cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software innovation, and long-term technology ownership. These are the areas where Indian companies have significant strengths.
 
At Sparsh CCTV, we've evolved from manufacturing cameras to building an intelligent surveillance ecosystem powered by AI, software platforms, cloud, and cyber-secure technologies. The recent launch of our Securi-Tech™ Intelligence reflects this transformation.
 
My election to the ONVIF Communications Committee further reinforces our commitment to open standards and global interoperability. I believe 'Made in India' surveillance will increasingly be recognized worldwide not just for manufacturing quality, but for trusted innovation, intelligent solutions, and global competitiveness.
 
asmag: Our readers beyond India might not be too familiar with Sparsh. What should they know about your company? In which markets are you present, and where will end users and integrators find your products in the future?
 

Sanjeev Sehgal: Sparsh CCTV is India's pioneering indigenous video surveillance company, with over two decades of experience in designing, developing, and manufacturing surveillance technologies. We were the first Indian company to manufacture CCTV cameras in India and the first to receive STQC certification across a wide range of products, reflecting our focus on trusted and cyber-secure solutions.
 
Today, we serve the Indian government, enterprises, transportation, and critical infrastructure sectors such as defence, railways, oil & gas, power, mining etc. and expanding into commercial and retail applications. We have a growing presence in over 10 countries, including the USA. Going forward, our focus is to expand globally through partnerships, open-platform solutions, and AI-driven surveillance technologies.
 
asmag: You've recently brought your analytics, edge AI, cloud, and a natural-language assistant together as Securi-Tech. What was the thinking behind unifying these features? What benefits does it bring for channel players and end users in the near term?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: Our thinking is rooted in how the needs of today’s customers are evolving. Customers no longer want a collection of disconnected technologies; they want a unified, intelligent ecosystem that can seamlessly connect devices, data, software, and intelligence. Securi-Tech™ Intelligence brings together AI analytics, edge computing, cloud, VMS, and conversational intelligence within a single architecture, making surveillance simpler to deploy, smarter to operate, and more actionable.
 
For channel partners, this creates a unified intelligence layer that enables them to offer a broader, more scalable solution to their customers, with greater value addition. For end users, it means faster deployment, simpler operations, and actionable intelligence that goes beyond simply capturing and storing video. For example, in a retail store, the same unified system can manage security, detect suspicious activity, analyse footfall and queues, generate real-time alerts, and let teams search incidents conversationally. Instead of multiple disconnected tools, the retailer gets one intelligent platform for both security and operational insights.
 
asmag: Sparsh offers tailored solutions for many verticals, from home security to critical infrastructure. Where do you see the best opportunities going forward? What kind of projects are you focusing on?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: We see some of our biggest opportunities coming from critical infrastructure, transportation, smart cities and large enterprise deployments. These are areas where the role of surveillance is changing quite significantly. It is no longer just about putting up cameras and recording footage; customers increasingly want systems that can help them understand what is happening and respond to it in real time.
 
We are building AI-enabled and cyber-secure solutions for applications across railways, highways, airports, energy, defence and urban infrastructure. We also see a lot of opportunity as India’s infrastructure becomes more connected and digitised. For us, the aim is not simply to sell more cameras. It is to become a larger part of the overall surveillance system, combining cameras, AI, software and analytics to help customers make faster and better decisions.
 
The same shift is also creating opportunities in retail and home surveillance, where customers increasingly expect smarter, easier-to-use and more connected solutions. We plan to expand our presence in these segments as well, bringing the same focus on intelligence, cybersecurity and integrated technology to a broader customer base.
 
asmag: Let’s go back to India for now. What are the conditions in the market? Where does it stand in terms of technology adoption?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: India is seeing a very strong growth in demand for surveillance, and the market itself is changing quite quickly. We are moving beyond the traditional use of cameras simply for recording and reviewing footage, towards AI-enabled systems that can identify and respond to what is happening in real time. At the same time, the market is placing greater emphasis on trusted, cyber-secure, standards-compliant, and locally manufactured technology.
 
In the recently published India Surveillance Market industry report by ELCINA, we were ranked 2nd in shipment share in the whole country. This stands as a testament to our belief that there is a strong opportunity for Indian companies that can combine deep technology capabilities, local manufacturing, cybersecurity, and the ability to deploy at scale.
 
asmag: Last year, the big story out of India was the implementation of the STQC rules, and many international players were worried about potential delays in the application process, with two regulatory agencies involved and the requirement that components must be transparently sourced from international makers or made in India. How has the “STQC story” played out so far?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: The implementation of STQC has been an important inflection point for India’s surveillance industry. While the transition required the industry to adapt to new certification, testing, and sourcing requirements, it has ultimately created a more structured, transparent, and quality-driven market. The focus is increasingly shifting beyond simply supplying hardware towards security, traceability, compliance, and product reliability, particularly for government and critical infrastructure deployments.
 
As the first company to get the STQC certification, having a clear focus on early investment in R&D, cybersecurity, and local manufacturing, we have positioned ourselves at the forefront of the industry. For us at Sparsh CCTV, STQC reinforces our long-standing focus on developing and manufacturing trusted surveillance technology in India.
 
asmag: Especially the sourcing of key components—image sensors, SOCs, etc.—is challenging in tightly regulated markets. Vendors are facing this challenge in India and elsewhere. How do you see Indian supply chains and domestic manufacturing evolving, especially with regard to key components that require a lot of technological prowess to make?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: At Sparsh, we don’t see this as a challenge but more as an opportunity to strengthen our R&D capabilities and build a more resilient supply chain over time. Developing capabilities around critical components is a gradual process, and it will take continued investment from both industry and the government.
 
India has already made significant progress in building its electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, and we expect this to continue as manufacturing capabilities, technology partnerships and supporting infrastructure develop. For us, the focus is on gradually increasing the depth of our domestic capabilities while building a diversified and resilient supply chain for components that are critical to our products. We believe that over the long term, a stronger domestic ecosystem will also give Indian companies greater control over product development and technology.
 
asmag: Sparsh has been growing strongly over the past few years. What are the next milestones you are seeking to reach?
 
Sanjeev Sehgal: Our next milestone is to strengthen ourselves as a global technology company, not just a surveillance manufacturer. We will continue investing in our R&D and advanced manufacturing capabilities, including AI, intelligent software platforms, cybersecurity, etc. while expanding our international footprint.
 
Our goal is to demonstrate that India can deliver world-class surveillance technologies built on innovation, trusted standards, and global interoperability.