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The landscape of tech in India is shifting! This week on Tech Today, we explore the massive regulatory reset as India officially pulls the plug on non-compliant Chinese CCTV brands. Plus, we go hands-on with the futuristic Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and we take it to the skies with a homegrown drone. In This Episode: The Chinese CCTV Ban (STQC Deadline): As of April 1, 2026, the grace period is over. Any internet-connected CCTV camera without STQC certification and ER compliance is effectively banned from sale in India. Why is the government targeting "unverified" silicon, and what does this mean for your home security? We break down the winners, the losers, and the rise of "Clean Network" Indian giants like CP Plus and Qubo. Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: It’s not a flagship, but it certainly looks like one. With a unibody aluminum design, 144Hz AMOLED display, and the signature Glyph interface, does the 4a Pro live up to the hype? We test the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 performance, the 50MP periscope telephoto lens, and the "identity" Nothing is selling for under ₹40,000. IZI Brephos Mini Drone - First Look: Content creators, this one is for you! We check out the IZI Brephos Mini - a sub-249g "Nano" drone that bypasses heavy DGCA restrictions. Featuring a 48MP camera, 4K HDR video, and "Noctura Vision" for low light, is this Indian-branded drone ready to take on the global giants?
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00:13If you're using a CCTV at home that's a Chinese brand, you might not be able to get any service
00:19or spare parts for it in the future because India might do away with Chinese CCTV brands
00:26in the days to come. But why this sudden development and what does it really mean for the surveillance
00:32ecosystem in India? We'll decrypt that on the show this week. Plus, a solid phone that stands out
00:38and looks like nothing you have ever seen before. This is the Nothing 4A Pro and we'll get you a
00:46quick
00:46review of this one. And we also have something for content creators who want to take their content
00:52to new heights, quite literally. And that's a surprise. I'm Cyrus and you're watching the
00:58Tech Today show. Let's kick things off with the top tech headlines followed by the rest. Let's go.
01:09American tech giant Oracle has initiated a massive global firing spree, cutting roughly 30,000 jobs
01:15worldwide. India has been hit the hardest with 12,000 employees let go in a single morning via
01:21early morning termination emails. Reports suggest another round of layoffs could follow within a
01:27month as the company realigns costs towards AI infrastructure. Impacted staff are receiving
01:32severance based on an N plus two formula.
01:38For the first time in over 20 years, Google is letting users change their
01:43at gmail.com address without losing any data. The new feature preserves all emails,
01:49drive files and YouTube history by turning the old address into an alias. Users can swap their
01:56user name once every 12 months up to a total of four times. The long awaited update is rolling out
02:02now to help users modernize their digital identities.
02:13Meta is quietly testing a new subscription called Instagram plus aimed at everyday users rather than
02:19creators. The paid tier includes stealth features like viewing stories anonymously and seeing how many
02:25times your own stories have been rewatched. It also allows for extended 48 hour story durations and
02:31multiple custom audience lists. Trials are currently underway in Mexico and Japan for roughly $1 to $2 a month.
02:43Apple has released a rare security update for older iPhones to block a dangerous hacking toolkit
02:50known as Dark Sword. The iOS 18.7.7 patch is critical for users who haven't yet upgraded to iOS
02:5826.
02:58The exploit allows hackers to siphon messages, passwords and location data simply by tricking
03:04a user into visiting a compromised website. Security experts urge all eligible users to
03:11install the update immediately.
03:17And Vivo has expanded its V series in India with the new Vivo V70 FE, a high spec device starting
03:23at
03:24$77,999 in India. The phone features a massive 7,000 mAh battery and a 200 megapixel primary camera
03:32with optical image stabilization. Despite the large battery, it maintains a slim 7.6mm profile and
03:39supports 90W fast charging. It officially goes on sale in India on the 9th of April.
04:06The landscape of surveillance in India is going to change forever. A two-year regulatory transition
04:13officially ends in March as the government pulls the plug on any internet-connected CCTV camera that
04:20hasn't cleared the STQC which is the standardization testing and quality certification in India. And
04:28this has worried all these Chinese giants who have a massive user base here. Last year, we did a story
04:34on CCTV camera and surveillance, spoke with experts about the ecosystem and they had some interesting
04:41insights to share with us.
04:43So I think I'll have to give, you know, commend the government of India for doing this. So I think
04:48what
04:48they have done is in sectors like telecom, sectors like drones and now CCTV have come out with stringent
04:54norms and certification standards where cyber security is of utmost importance. The prime importance is
05:01revolving around data security, trusted supply chain, use of critical semicons from not from the neighboring
05:08countries where they have trust issues probably. And they have made such stringent norms now of any
05:14camera which gets into the market. I think from April 2025 onwards, this new certification STQC went live.
05:22Any camera you have to undergo that certification where data is totally secured. It's like fortifying
05:28the product completely.
05:29The camera is like Chinese rebranding. So China is selling the hardware to some Indian distributor,
05:35they are just wrapping their own logo and selling it in India. We want to basically remove that part.
05:41The cameras are more like a Chinese maker are making the camera. You're putting it and no one
05:46know what camera you have and even you are not caring about what camera is inside your house, right?
05:50We want to make camera as your companion.
05:53So has the time arrived? Is this the end of cheap surveillance or the beginning of a truly clean
06:00network for India? We are breaking down the winners and the losers of the new rules and what you need
06:07to be on the lookout for before you buy your next surveillance system.
06:17Made in China tech has always been under a global microscope.
06:26And India has consistently been at the forefront of this digital border control.
06:32We saw it first in 2020 when the government invoked Section 69A to wipe over 300 apps from TikTok to
06:40WeChat off Indian phones overnight. The reason? Illegal data transmission and threats to national sovereignty.
06:51We saw it again in 2021 when the trusted source directive effectively locked the gates against
06:58foreign equipment in our 5G and telecom backbones. And now the needle has pointed towards the CCTV
07:06cameras that sit in our offices, our nurseries and our streets. As of 1st April 2026, the window for the
07:14old security market in India is officially shut. We are moving past the warnings and the transition periods.
07:21The Maithi mandate is now the only law of the land and it carries a simple high-stake rule. If
07:27your
07:28hardware isn't on the STQC safe list, your camera cannot operate in India. In all practicality, it's banned.
07:38We are talking about a total regulatory reset. For the last two years, the industry has been operating in a
07:44grey zone of extensions and inventory clear-outs. From the high-end enterprise servers,
07:49to the camera guarding your front door. The compliance barrier is now absolute and for any brand that
07:56hasn't cleared the rules, the lights go out for them.
08:01This is the hard deadline that finally draws a line between trusted silicon and unverified tech.
08:11For a long time, the eyes watching our streets, our boardrooms and our bedrooms were potentially wide
08:18open. We are talking about shadow networks, unauthorized digital backdoors that could allow
08:24sensitive Indian data to be sent off to foreign servers thousands of miles away without a trace.
08:31But now, every camera must prove it doesn't have a secret handshake baked into its silicon.
08:38Under the rules, high-level encryption, the kind used by banks, isn't an option extra.
08:45It's the baseline. If a camera can't keep a secret, it no longer has a seat at the table.
08:51Indian brands have now risen to be positioned as trusted partners, especially at a time when
08:59the concerns over data vulnerability and supply chain transparency are rightly coming into a sharper
09:06focus. This is further reinforced by the DPDP Act, that's the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
09:13In the context of surveillance systems, this makes it imperative for organizations to be transparent
09:20about how data is collected, how it is stored, where it is stored, and also how this data is utilized.
09:28And India isn't acting alone. This is part of a global clean network movement. From the United States
09:36to the UK and Australia, the world's biggest economies are systematically purging untrusted tech from their
09:43digital ecosystem. Well, now we have a fair idea of what is happening in the Indian security and
09:50surveillance market. And it's a clear flip. It looks like the government is picking and throwing out
09:56these Chinese brands out of the Indian market. There could be more than one reason for that,
10:01but the good part is the move is making spots for the new local players here in India. And here's
10:08how.
10:09Names like HIK Vision, Dahua were the default setting for surveillance in India for years,
10:16but from April 2026, that dominance has hit a brick wall. By refusing to certify hardware tied to
10:23restricted silicon and opaque firmware, the SGQC has effectively initiated a massive market cleanse.
10:30We are seeing a near-total displacement of global giants that once controlled the industry. But as the
10:37old guard is phased out, the vacuum is being filled by a new breed of Indian giants. Local players like
10:44CP Plus, Cubo and Sparsh performed a high-stakes supply chain transplant, swapping out unverified parts
10:51for trusted tech from Taiwan and US. The result? A market flip. Domestic brands now hold over 80%
11:00of the market, with CP Plus alone emerging as the new heavyweight controlling nearly half the industry.
11:10India has always been building technologies for the other nations, including the Western countries and
11:16so many other countries. But we have not invested in R&D. We really need to focus on building technology
11:23technology with the required support of ecosystem, which is the researchers community, the academia
11:30and government investing in all these technologies so that India can become a self-reliant country.
11:38And we have all our eyes on what the future holds. The local players are not holding up on what
11:44they
11:44have got. Indian firms are now advancing from assembly to true innovation. They are building local,
11:51AI-driven analytics that process data right at the source. From real-time facial recognition to
11:58sophisticated behavior analysis, the next generation of Indian surveillance understands the world as it
12:05records it. And the real breakthrough is the location of this intelligence. By hosting these high-level
12:11analytics on domestic clouds, Indian companies are ensuring that all the data stays within our borders.
12:17This is a blueprint for the future. By securing the lens today, India might have cleared the path for
12:25a digital infrastructure that is sovereign, resilient and entirely self-made. It is a commitment to a
12:32future where our first security is powered by technology we own and trust. It's a known fact that Chinese
12:41CCTV companies had almost one-third of the market share in India. So what does this development mean for
12:49the existing customers? Can our market work with fewer options right now? What will happen to the older,
12:55you know, ruled-out cameras and their hardware? Well, these are some questions that haven't been answered yet.
13:02However, we hope that the consumers don't become collateral damage of this massive market switch.
13:09What do you have to say about this transition? We'd love to hear from you as well because this transition
13:15affects you also. Our next story is on similar lines trying to promote
13:21India-made gadgets that are reaching the skies, quite literally.
13:39Be it wedding photo shoots, real estate or even Instagram Reels, India's content landscape is taking to the skies.
13:51And with content evolving so quickly these days, creators are looking for some of the best gadgets
13:56to get you the best visuals, like drones.
14:00And what's even more interesting that this space is no longer dominated only by global giants.
14:05Indian brands are stepping in, trying to build their own drone ecosystem. One such brand is IZI.
14:11And this is their latest offering, the Breathforce Mini.
14:17A compact drone, packed with features and priced at around 65,000 rupees.
14:23India's drone ecosystem has gone through a massive shift over the last few years.
14:27With policies like the Drone Rules 2021, the government has made it easier for individuals
14:32and companies to operate drones. With imports of fully built drones restricted,
14:38companies are pushed to build or assemble drones locally.
14:42So, what you're seeing right now here is a wave of India-focused brands. Some are building right here,
14:47some are assembly, but what you're seeing is a fast-growing market of Indian brands.
14:52And that growth is being driven by creators, filmmakers, survey companies, agriculture and even logistics.
15:00Now, IZI is one of those consumer-centric brands in India and they've already launched a couple of drones
15:06drones right now, but they're tapping into a premium segment now with the Breathforce Mini.
15:13This is a sub 250 gram drone, which is important because it puts it in the nano category in India.
15:19That means fewer regulatory hurdles and easier flying for beginners.
15:26This drone is clearly designed to be portable, foldable arms, lightweight build and something you can
15:31literally throw into a backpack. It weighs under 250 grams and is built for travel-friendly use,
15:38making it ideal for content creators on the move.
15:42But don't be fooled by the small size because this one is no toy drone.
15:48The Breathforce Mini packs a 48-megapixel camera with a 1x1.3-inch sensor,
15:53something you don't usually see in ultra-compact drones.
15:57You can shoot 4K at 30fps and then there is even HDR support for better dynamic range.
16:04And importantly, it has a 3-axis gimbal, which basically means smoother footage,
16:10as you can see in the samples here.
16:17The stabilization is critical if you want cinematic shots without them being that shaky or amateurish.
16:27There is also a dedicated low-light mode, IZI calls it Noctura Vision,
16:32which is designed to improve night shooting.
16:38Now, on paper, this drone promises around 20 kilometers of range, which might sound a lot,
16:44but in reality, I would say you can expect much lesser.
16:49You also get multiple flight modes, like follow me, cine mode and automated shots,
16:55making it beginner-friendly.
16:57It works via the IZI Air app, which acts as your control center for flying, framing and capturing shots.
17:04You get to customize settings and can explore multiple functionalities.
17:12The drone comes with a 3000 mAh battery and charging takes roughly 90 minutes.
17:17And like most drones in this category, you'll probably want to get extra batteries if you're
17:21serious about shooting, because with smaller drones like these, you don't get a lot of flight time.
17:27Before we move ahead, I just want to clear one thing, that the installation process of this drone
17:31is not very easy, the app interface is really confusing. If you want to get this thing flying,
17:36there are so many steps that you have to go through and you'll have to constantly keep
17:39in touch with an engineer from IZI to make sure that this thing can get off the ground, because
17:44we had a lot of problems.
17:47But here's where things get a little interesting and slightly complicated.
17:52As India pushes for a self-reliant drone ecosystem, questions remain about how Indian
17:57some of these products really are. Industry conversations and online discussions suggest
18:03that many brands may be assembling imported components, rather than building everything
18:08from scratch. And that needs to change. So, who should really consider a drone like this?
18:17This is clearly aimed at content creators, travel vloggers, beginners entering aerial photography.
18:27So, if you really want cinematic shots, maybe not in the professional category or space,
18:33but still something that you can do with then around 65,000 rupees, this one is a decent option.
18:40Especially when you consider people are flying to China and buying better drones that are much
18:45cheaper. So, one thing's for sure, a company like IZI is trying to ensure that it can get
18:50premium features that you get in a more expensive drones into more compact form factors and especially for
18:56Indian users. But one thing's for sure, with all these features coming into compact form factors,
19:01the Indian skies are about to fill up with drones like these.
19:18If you're someone who believes that all smartphones today are starting to look the same,
19:23but you want something different, then this is definitely worth your time.
19:34This is the new Nothing 4A Pro and at under 40,000 rupees, it's walking a very interesting line.
19:40Because this isn't really a flagship, but it still wants to feel like one. But does this phone,
19:46besides looking futuristic, really offer that flagship experience? Let's find out.
19:53Let's be honest, the world today is full of similar looking slab devices, but thankfully,
19:59this one stands out. And nothing has gone with a unibody aluminium design and that's a bold move
20:04in this price segment. It instantly feels more premium in the hand. Then there's the camera island,
20:10which is big, distinctive and very intentional. It gives the phone a sort of a flagship personality,
20:17even if it isn't one. And of course, you have the signature glip interface. These lights aren't just
20:23for show anymore. You can customize them for notifications, calls, timers, even music with
20:29these multiple options. It adds a layer of personality and no other brand is really doing
20:34something like this right now. And then there is this red recording light, which I feel is a good addition.
20:39Just adds to the aesthetic appeal, but nothing beyond that. I really don't understand why I really like
20:46this device. Maybe because I am just tired of seeing all of these slab devices around, but I'm glad that
20:52nothing really dares to be different in this world. Move to the front, you get a crisp 6.8 inch
20:58AMOLED display
20:59with 144Hz refresh rate, which again is flagship level. In real world usage, it's sharp, vibrant and importantly
21:07bright enough with outdoor visibility, having no issues thanks to 5000 nits of peak brightness.
21:14One of the highest in this segment. Scrolling, watching content, gaming, all of it feels smooth and fluid
21:21and this feels like true flagship. And this is the one area where I feel that the phone really delivers
21:27more than what you are paying for because of the display tech. It's absolutely crazy. It also comes
21:33with PW and dimming, which means you can read content very easily and comfortably in the dark.
21:39So overall, a fantastic display and absolutely no compromises if you're looking for a flagship
21:45experience while watching the device. Now, performance-wise, this one is really in the upper
21:51mid-range category because this one is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, which again has a lot
21:56of
21:57potential. Apps open quickly, multitasking is smooth, no real lag or stutter whatsoever and even gaming,
22:04it holds up well. This is me playing BGMI at max settings and no frame drops.
22:16You're not getting flagship level power, but for most people, I feel this is more than enough.
22:22Not to mention, you're getting up to 12 GB of RAM with the 256 GB variant, which just boosts the
22:29overall
22:29performance. The Nothing OS experience is also good and the software continues to be one of Nothing's
22:35biggest strengths. It's clean, minimal and absolutely smooth. No unnecessary clutter, no heavy skins,
22:42just a very refined Android experience. And honestly, that makes the phone feel faster than it actually is.
22:50In fact, for the price, I feel that the Nothing 4A hits the perfect sweet spot with a balance between
22:55performance and efficiency. And if you're looking for a daily driver, then this phone is actually
23:01right there in the most perfect space. And this is the kind of performance that really doesn't impress
23:07you in terms of benchmarks, but it just sits in a very good space when you want something for daily
23:13use.
23:14Cameras though are a bit of a mixed bag because the rear setup is solid. You're getting a 50 megapixel
23:21primary camera, a 50 megapixel telephoto and an 8 megapixel ultra wide. You get good details and the
23:27dynamic range is also good with the primary sensor. The contrasts are sharp in well-lit scenarios.
23:33Reliable color output is a USB and I liked how the images maintain the texture in different scenarios.
23:39It also has decent low light performance. It's not flagship level, but it's definitely dependable.
23:45I like that Nothing has also added these custom shooting modes you can experiment with.
23:50But here's the miss. The front camera doesn't really have 4K recording and in 2026,
23:55that could be a deal breaker for many people. Especially when content creation is such a big
24:01part of how people are using their phones today. That's one area where Nothing could have pushed
24:06just a little harder. Otherwise, overall for the price, I feel that the Nothing for a camera
24:11is decent. Battery life is one department I feel that the phone is reassuring. Because you're looking
24:17at a large battery, over 5,400 mAh and in real world usage, you can easily get a full day's
24:24use.
24:24Even with heavy use, it holds up. Charging is fast enough not to feel like a chore. This is a
24:30phone
24:30that you won't be worrying about halfway through the day for sure. I got about a day and a half
24:35with
24:35regular use with this one, which is great and it charges 0 to 100 in just 90 minutes. So, in
24:42terms
24:42of the overall experience with the battery, I feel that it offers something more and beyond what the
24:47specs really say. So, I think 50 watt might sound less on paper compared to the competition, but
24:54it's giving enough juice. But why does the Nothing 4a sound like such a good deal? Because of the
25:00response that this phone has received in the initial days. Again, I mean, we launched in the price
25:06segment. It was the biggest ever day one launch in the price segment with the 4a series and we are
25:12seeing a lot of competitors that are launching like devices here because of the memory price increase
25:18and they are struggling big time. So, I think it translates in terms of what we build with
25:26nothing. You know, I think we build something quite unique, a very unique brand and I think
25:31now that we are seeing that, you know, it's not so much about kind of value for money, it's more
25:35about, okay, I need to spend, to get a great product like 30 or close to 30,000 rupees to
25:42get a great product
25:42and it's quite, it's quite good to see that people are going for nothing phones. Yeah. And this tells
25:49you that the Nothing 4a isn't really a disruptor or something that the company has experimented with
25:54design. It's actually offering people value for their money, which is why such an overwhelming
26:00response. So, to close everything, what is the verdict we have here? I feel that the Nothing 4a isn't
26:06really trying to impress anyone or trying to replace your flagship experience. And it's not trying to be the
26:12most powerful phone and also not trying to be the best camera phone. But what it is trying to do
26:17is
26:18stand out. And in that sense, it absolutely succeeds. You get a great design that turns heads,
26:24a clean, smooth experience, reliable performance and solid battery life. All under 40,000 rupees.
26:31And I understand in this price segment, it's getting stiff competition against the likes of the iQoo
26:36Neo10 and also some of the primary drivers like maybe the Google Pixel 10a. But then with
26:41all those other devices, you won't get this design. And if you're tired of buying phones that all look
26:48the same and you want something that stands out but also gives you functionality, utility and performance,
26:54the Nothing 4a under 40,000 rupees is a good deal. So, there you have it. If you are looking
26:59to elevate
27:00your content game, getting a drone might not be such a bad idea. Do explore the options that are available
27:06in the market plus the one that we showed you on the show this week. Also, if you have any
27:10questions
27:11about the 4a Pro, do write to us and I will personally reply to you. I promise. There's lots
27:17to unpack in the coming weeks. So, stay tuned to the Tech Today show. I'll be back next week with
27:22some
27:23AI tech and a whole lot more. This is Cyrus, signing off. Take care.
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