Archive · 1 Oct 2026
India's CCTV Shift: Startups Turn Passive Cameras Into Operational Intelligence
Most security cameras simply record video for people to watch later.
New software is making these cameras smarter without always replacing them.
The software can recognize people, objects and events.
Restaurants can use it to check cleanliness and safety rules.
Factories can use it to spot missing safety equipment or investigate stopped production lines.
Shops, hospitals and logistics companies can study queues, movement and waiting times.
At a large festival in Telangana, the technology helped monitor crowds and identify possible threats.
Startups are also working on systems that let businesses search old video by meaning, such as finding someone entering a restricted area.
India sells nearly 50 million CCTV cameras annually, but only about 5% reportedly have intelligent capabilities.
Startups are adding video analytics, computer vision and edge computing to existing cameras in businesses and public spaces.
Applications include monitoring hygiene, safety equipment, queues, vehicle loading times, pests and production-line disruptions.
At Telangana’s Medaram Jatara, NthEye analyzed 15 feeds, processed millions of face scans and generated more than 70 alerts.
Companies including BLUE and Staqu are developing searchable video systems that can answer operational questions beyond preset alerts.
- Who
- Deeptech startups including BLUE, NthEye Technologies and Staqu Technologies, along with businesses, governments and public-safety agencies.
- What
- They are adding intelligence to existing CCTV systems so video can be analyzed, searched and used for operational decisions.
- When
- The change is underway; NthEye’s Medaram Jatara deployment took place over four days earlier this year.
- Where
- Applications are being used in factories, restaurants, hospitals, shops, public spaces and government facilities in India.
- Why
- To improve auditing, safety, crowd monitoring, investigations and operational efficiency without necessarily replacing installed cameras.
- India CCTV market
- Nearly 50 million cameras are sold annually.
- Current intelligence level
- About 5% of cameras reportedly have some form of intelligence.
- BLUE deployment
- The company says it works across about 500 sites and 4,000 cameras.
- Audit coverage
- BLUE says video increased coverage from a handful of locations monthly to 100% of sites daily.
- Medaram Jatara attendance
- More than 13 million pilgrims attended over four days.
- NthEye processing
- The system processed more than 100 faces per frame per second, or nearly 5 million face scans per hour.
- Staqu deployment
- Staqu says its JARVIS platform is deployed across 11 state governments and more than 70 prisons.