**Executive Summary**
India has been nominated as the Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for a two-year term from April 2026 to April 2028. This leadership appointment, confirmed during the April 2026 Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) meeting in Tokyo, tasks India with managing international technical standards for IT security. The role provides India with a strategic opportunity to influence global security evaluation methodologies and ensure emerging technologies are integrated into the international standards framework.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Leadership and Appointments**
* India will serve as the Chair of the CCDB from April 2026 to April 2028.
* The appointment was formalized during the CCRA 1st Quarter Meeting held in Tokyo from April 14th to 16th, 2026.
* India has been an active member of the CCRA since September 2013 as a Certificate Authorizing Nation.
**The Role of CCDB and CCRA**
* The CCRA is an international treaty enabling mutual recognition of IT security certificates, eliminating the need for re-certification across member borders.
* The CCDB acts as the technical core of the CCRA, focusing on technical standards and evaluation criteria.
* The CCDB manages the international work program for the Common Criteria (CC) and the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM).
* The CCRA framework includes 20 certificate-authorizing nations and 18 certificate-consuming nations.
**India’s Institutional Framework**
* The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) represents India in the CCRA.
* The STQC Directorate serves as India’s official Certification Body for IT security evaluations.
**Strategic Objectives**
* To define international security evaluation methodologies at a global level.
* To ensure emerging technologies relevant to India are addressed within global standards.
* To maintain the integrity of the Common Criteria Portal as the "single source of truth" for certified secure IT products.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) / STQC Directorate**
**Impact**
India assumes a high-level leadership role that validates its technical competence and provides a platform to shape the future of global IT security certification.
**Action Required**
Represent India as the Chair of the CCDB, overseeing the international technical work program and advocating for the inclusion of emerging technology standards.
**Global IT Product Manufacturers**
**Impact**
Manufacturers benefit from a "single source of truth" for security certifications and a mutual recognition system that facilitates seamless international trade.
**Action Required**
Ensure IT products are evaluated under the Common Criteria and CEM standards to gain cross-border certification recognition without redundant testing.
**CCRA Member Nations (Authorizing and Consuming)**
**Impact**
These nations will cooperate under India’s technical leadership to maintain the integrity of the Common Criteria Portal and the global repository of secure IT products.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with the CCDB on the international work program and continue to recognize certificates issued by member nations according to CCRA norms.
Key Entities Referenced
Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB): The technical core of the CCRA responsible for managing international IT security standards and evaluation criteria; India assumes its Chair for the 2026-2028 term.
Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA): A foundational international treaty enabling mutual recognition of IT security certificates across member nations to facilitate global trade in secure IT products.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY): The primary Indian ministry representing the nation in the CCRA and overseeing international IT security standards development.
STQC Directorate: The official Certification Body for IT security evaluations in India, operating under MeitY as a certificate-authorizing entity.
Common Criteria (CC): The international standard for computer security certification used to define technical standards and evaluation methodologies for global IT products.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
India Assumes Chair of Common Criteria
Development Board (CCDB)
Posted On: 14 MAY 2026 6:20PM by PIB Delhi
India has been nominated as the Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) from April
2026 to April 2028, a prestigious responsibility reflecting the nations growing role in international IT
security standards development. This leadership position was confirmed during the 1st Quarter Meeting of
the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA), held from 14th to 16th April 2026 in Tokyo,
Japan.
The Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) is the foundational international treaty that
enables the mutual recognition of IT security certificates across borders. Beyond the high-level policy
committees, the CCRA operates through specific working groups and administrative protocols designed to
maintain the integrity of the Common Criteria Portal, which serves as the "single source of truth" for
certified secure IT products worldwide.
The CCDB serves as the technical core of the CCRA, managing the international work program for the
Common Criteria (CC) and the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation
(CEM). While other CCRA groups handle policy matters, the CCDB focuses on the technical standards
and evaluation criteria that secure global IT products.
India has been an active member of the CCRA since September 16, 2013, as a Certificate Authorizing
Nation. The country serves through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and
STQC Directorate, which acts as the official Certification Body for IT security evaluations in India.
As per CCRA norms, certificates issued by member countries for products evaluated under the Common
Criteria are mutually recognized without the need for re-certification, facilitating seamless international
trade in secure IT products. The CCRA comprises 20 certificate-authorizing nations and 18 certificate-
consuming nations. These countries collectively ensure the integrity of the Common Criteria Portal, which
serves as the authoritative global repository for certified secure IT products.
India's assumption of the CCDB Chair demonstrates the nation’s technical competence and commitment
to advancing global IT security standards. This leadership role positions India at the forefront of defining
international security evaluation methodologies and ensures that emerging technologies, particularly those
relevant to India, are adequately addressed in the global standards framework. The two-year term provides
an opportunity for India to influence critical decisions shaping the future of IT security certification
worldwide.
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