New Delhi : India has been nominated as the Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB) for the period from April 2026 to April 2028, marking a significant milestone in the country’s growing role in shaping global IT security standards. The decision was confirmed during the first quarter meeting of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) held in Tokyo, Japan, from April 14 to 16, 2026.
The Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement is an international framework that enables mutual recognition of IT security certificates issued by member countries, facilitating global acceptance of certified secure IT products without the need for re-certification.
The CCDB functions as the technical core of the CCRA and is responsible for managing the international work programme related to the Common Criteria (CC) and the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation (CEM). The Board focuses on developing and maintaining technical standards and evaluation methodologies used for assessing the security of IT products worldwide.
India has been a member of the CCRA since September 2013 as a Certificate Authorizing Nation. The country participates in the arrangement through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate, which serves as India’s official certification body for IT security evaluations.
Under the CCRA framework, security certificates issued by member countries are mutually recognised across participating nations, helping promote seamless international trade in secure IT products. The arrangement currently includes 20 certificate-authorising nations and 18 certificate-consuming nations.
Officials said India’s appointment as Chair of the CCDB reflects the country’s growing technical expertise and commitment towards strengthening global cybersecurity and IT security evaluation standards.
The leadership role is expected to provide India with an opportunity to contribute more actively to the development of international IT security methodologies and ensure that emerging technologies and security priorities relevant to India are adequately represented in global standards discussions over the next two years.