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CLS 2026: AI Reshapes India’s Channel as Costs and Lead Times Rise
Digital transformation is reshaping India’s technology ecosystem, but its real impact comes when technology aligns with people, processes and operations. Channel partners remain critical to this transformation, taking innovation to the last mile while helping enterprises adapt, automate and improve efficiency. As VARINDIA celebrates its 27th Anniversary, the 19th Annual Channel Leadership Survey (CLS 2026) captures this transition across hardware, software, cloud, cybersecurity and services, identifying the technologies, vendors and channel strategies shaping the next phase of growth. The industry is simultaneously confronting a new supply-and-cost equation. Explosive AI and GenAI infrastructure demand is consuming GPUs, HBM and conventional memory capacity, creating price pressure and supply constraints. Samsung expects HBM to absorb nearly 30% of industry DRAM wafer capacity next year, while Micron is reporting tightening memory supply amid booming AI demand. Hardware availability has consequently become a strategic procurement issue. While lead times vary substantially by product, many categories face extended delivery schedules; some critical server components are already far beyond the 8–10-week range. CLS 2026 reveals another structural shift: VARs and system integrators are moving from transactional IT sales towards recurring, highervalue services. AI, cloud and integrated cybersecurity are driving demand for managed security, data engineering, professional services and consumption-based models. Partners increasingly favour vendors offering predictable revenue opportunities, technical training, solution enablement and easier engagement. At the same time, rising GPU and memory costs make inventory planning, financing, availability and supply-chain visibility increasingly important competitive differentiators. Spotlighting 200 leading Channel Partners, CLS 2026 evaluates leadership through sales performance, service excellence, availability, channel initiatives and partner incentives. A recurring concern is trust: partners remain cautious about sharing customer information when they fear channel conflict. Transparent policies and secure partner-data systems are therefore essential. Ultimately, CLS 2026 identifies the OEMs leading this transformation while providing a roadmap for building stronger, trusted and more profitable channel partnerships. Acer India Equips Partners to Capture New Growth Opportunities SANJEEV MEHTANI CHIEF SALES OFFICER, ACER INDIA Acer India is strengthening its channel ecosystem through deeper partner engagement, broader market reach and stronger enablement. The company is equipping partners with products, training, technology and go-to-market support to address changing consumer and enterprise requirements. Expansion across Tier II and Tier III markets remains a priority, supported by digital tools for demand visibility, inventory planning and customer engagement. As Acer expands beyond computing into consumer electronics, home technology and lifestyle categories, partners will play a central role. The strategy also focuses on AI PCs, gaming and enterprise solutions, helping partners identify new opportunities, improve profitability and become integral to Acer’s long-term growth in India. From Application Performance to AI Security: Array’s India Strategy SHIBU PAUL VP OF INTERNATIONAL SALES, ARRAY NETWORKS As Indian enterprises and SMEs accelerate AI adoption, Array Networks sees application delivery, performance and security becoming increasingly interconnected. Its load-balancing technologies are designed to keep applications and AI workloads responsive as traffic scales through intelligent distribution and optimised resource utilisation. Array’s WAF and Cloud WAF add application and API protection, using machine learning and behavioural analytics to address Layer 7 attacks, bots, zero-day threats and OWASP vulnerabilities. The company believes AI adoption must progress alongside security, trust and responsible innovation. Its channel strategy consequently emphasises sustainable partner profitability through technical training, demand generation, joint go-to-market initiatives and stronger opportunity engagement, helping partners create differentiated customer value. Channel-First, Partner-to-Partner: The Model Behind BD Software Momentum ZAKIR HUSSAIN RANGWALA CEO, BD SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION BD Software Distribution is combining AI-driven cybersecurity with data protection and governance as enterprises embrace new technologies. Its portfolio includes AI-enabled threat detection, DLP and encryption, with new brands evaluated for their balance between innovation and governance. Channel expansion remains central to growth, with the company extending its reach beyond metros into Tier II, III and IV markets through regional partnerships, technical support and enablement. BD Software follows a channel-first model centred on VARs, MSPs and system integrators. Portfolio diversification, incentive programmes, product offers, technical assistance, innovation summits and boot camps are designed to strengthen partner profitability while enabling partners to address increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity requirements. Unlocking New Revenue and Connectivity Opportunities for Partners MYLARAIAH JN VP OF BUILDING & CAMPUS BUSINESS, INDIA & SAARC, COMMSCOPE CommScope is helping partners capture new opportunities through its PartnerPRO Network, structured around distributors, solution providers, ecosystem partners and alliances. The programme provides training, technical resources, marketing support and guidance, enabling partners to develop expertise aligned with their business models. This capability is becoming increasingly important as Indian organisations adopt cloud, IoT and AI, creating demand for higher bandwidth and robust enterprise connectivity. CommScope’s scalable infrastructure solutions are designed to support growing volumes of data and evolving business requirements. By combining global technology expertise with local partner insight, the company aims to help enterprises and SMEs adapt faster, introduce new services and scale operations while creating sustainable opportunities for partners. Powering India’s Security Evolution with a Future-Ready Ecosystem ADITYA KHEMKA MANAGING DIRECTOR, CP PLUS CP PLUS sees India’s security market evolving from conventional surveillance towards an integrated, intelligent technology ecosystem. With more than 30,000 partners and 1,800 system integrators, the company is focusing on creating a channel that is both larger and more technically capable. Its Mission Tech Training Programme has trained over 50,000 system integrators and technicians, while Galaxy Stores, World Experience Centers and regional expansion are creating stronger customer touchpoints. CP PLUS is simultaneously taking AI deeper into security infrastructure, helping organisations move from passive video recording towards actionable surveillance. Its portfolio spans connected cameras, cloud-enabled solutions, enterprise surveillance, ANPR, perimeter security and edge-AI applications for enterprises and SMEs. Turning AI into an Advantage with the Help of Partners ATUL MEHTA, SENIOR DIRECTOR & COUNTRY HEAD – COMMERCIAL CHANNELS, DELL TECHNOLOGIES INDIA Dell Technologies views AI adoption as an integrated journey spanning AI-enabled devices, compute, storage, networking, data, security and services. Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA brings these elements together to help customers move from experimentation towards production, while the Dell AI Ecosystem Program validates partner solutions and reduces integration complexity. Channel partners are particularly important for SMEs that may lack large internal IT teams, translating technology into practical business outcomes. Dell’s Partner First strategy aims to simplify the partner experience, strengthen access to opportunities and improve commercial incentives. As customers rethink infrastructure around AI, cloud, cybersecurity and modern workplaces, partners can increasingly move beyond product sales towards higher-value solution engagements. Building a More Capable, Capacity-led Partner Ecosystem SHRIDHAR KADAM CEO, DIGISOL SYSTEMS Digisol believes India’s channel ecosystem is shifting from a distribution-led model towards one driven by partner capability. Through programmes including League of Champions, T2 GO MAX and SI Premier League, the company rewards sustained performance while strengthening engagement with distributors and system integrators. Technical certifications, product training, marketing enablement and the Digisol Alliance Partner Program further help partners improve technical expertise and customer engagement. Digisol is simultaneously moving from transactional relationships towards a partner-value model built around performance incentives, demand generation, technical capability and customer support. Its objective extends beyond revenue generated for Digisol: the company wants partners to build sustainable, profitable businesses while strengthening long-term value for both channel and brand. Empowering Partners to Drive Growth Beyond Traditional Backup PRAKASH SINGH NATIONAL PARTNER MANAGER – INDIA & SAARC, DRUVA Druva views its channel ecosystem as a strategic growth engine rather than simply a route to market. Its strategy combines practical enablement, co-selling, account planning, demand generation and business reviews to help partners move beyond transactional backup conversations. The objective is to develop trusted advisors capable of addressing cyber resilience, data security, SaaS protection and AI readiness. Druva focuses on predictable pipeline creation, continuous skill development and stronger customer outcomes through joint marketing, workshops and active deal development. Partners are also encouraged to expand into Microsoft 365 protection, endpoints, cloud workloads and cyber recovery, helping them increase wallet share within existing customers while creating differentiated, higher-margin revenue opportunities. Building a Future-Ready, Profitable AI Partner Ecosystem C.R. SRIRAM ZONAL SALES MANAGER – SOUTH, DYNABOOK INDIA Dynabook is strengthening its Indian channel ecosystem by helping partners develop knowledge and capabilities for an increasingly AI-driven technology market. Updated training modules, workshops, face-to-face engagements and knowledge-sharing programmes are designed to keep partners informed about emerging technologies, solutions and business opportunities. Its growth strategy encourages partners to combine AI capabilities with their existing industry expertise rather than relying purely on product sales. This enables the creation of higher-value solutions and additional revenue streams. Sustainable profitability remains central, with Dynabook focusing on healthy margins, long-term business viability and recurring opportunities. AI-ready devices, solution-led engagement and go-to-market support can ultimately help partners become trusted advisors in customers’ digital transformation journeys. Partner-Led Growth: Making AI-Ready Computing Accessible Across India RAJSHEKHAR BHATT COUNTRY MANAGER INDIA, ECS ECS sees AI transforming business computing and creating demand for accessible, affordable AI-ready solutions tailored to the actual requirements of Indian enterprises and SMEs. The company works closely with system integrators and channel partners to build solutions around its products, helping customers gain greater value while creating additional business opportunities for partners. Channel remains fundamental to ECS’s India strategy, supported by national distributor RP Tech and a network of system integrators. Rather than simply selling products, ECS works with partners to understand customer requirements and propose appropriate solutions. The strategy is straightforward: provide the right portfolio, solution support and opportunities so partners can expand their businesses and improve profitability alongside ECS. Driving Partner Profitability through Capability-led AI Ecosystems PIYUSH SOMANI, FOUNDER, PROMOTER, CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, ESDS SOFTWARE SOLUTION LIMITED ESDS sees AI moving rapidly from experimentation towards enterprise-scale deployment, making reliable and commercially viable compute, cloud, data and security infrastructure critical. Its integrated stack spans GPU-asa-Service, AI-ready data centres, cybersecurity, managed services and SWARAJ Cloud, its sovereign enterprise cloud platform hosted on ESDS-owned infrastructure in India. The platform brings together more than 52 services and 80 integrated capabilities. ESDS has also contracted an AI Factory comprising an 8,208-GPU NVIDIA B300 cluster with 17.83 PB of VAST storage in Sydney with SharonAI. Its channel strategy focuses on building partner capabilities across cloud, AI compute, cybersecurity, infrastructure and managed services to create higher-value, lifecycle-led revenue opportunities. Fortinet’s Channel Strategy: Driving Growth Through AI and Integrated Security JITENDRA GHUGHAL SENIOR DIRECTOR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT, FORTINET Fortinet sees partner differentiation increasingly coming from the ability to simplify cybersecurity and operational complexity through integrated, AI-driven platforms. As customers move beyond fragmented point solutions, partners can become strategic advisors by helping organisations consolidate security, improve visibility, automate operations and strengthen long-term outcomes. Managed security services represent another significant growth engine as customers face cybersecurity skill shortages and operational complexity. These services can create recurring revenue while deepening customer relationships. AI will further differentiate partners capable of combining AI-enabled security, automation and platform integration. Fortinet’s channel strategy therefore focuses on helping partners move higher up the value chain, developing sustainable businesses around integrated security platforms, managed services and outcome-oriented cybersecurity expertise. Helping Indian Businesses Do More with Less through AI-Powered IT MATHEW PHILIP SENIOR DIRECTOR & HEAD – INDIA & GSIS, GOTO GoTo is helping Indian enterprises and SMEs use AI to automate routine IT work, resolve issues faster and improve productivity without proportionately increasing infrastructure or headcount. LogMeIn Resolve embeds agentic AI into existing IT workflows, helping teams understand requests, investigate problems, run diagnostics and recommend or execute fixes while retaining human control over important decisions. GoTo’s objective is to make AI practical, ambient and secure for both lean SME teams and complex enterprises. Partners remain central to its India growth strategy. Through enablement, product expertise and the LogMeIn Partner Network, GoTo aims to transform resellers into trusted advisors while collaborating with GSIs on co-selling, co-innovation and larger digital workplace transformation opportunities. HID Empowers Partners to Lead the Shift to Modern Identity PRABHURAJ PATIL, SENIOR DIRECTOR, PHYSICAL ACCESS CONTROL SOLUTIONS, ASEAN & INDIA SUBCONTINENT, HID HID sees India remaining strongly partner-led as organisations modernise physical access and identity environments. Channel partners are increasingly expected to go beyond supplying readers, credentials and accesscontrol hardware to advise customers on migrations, mobile access, biometrics, cloud-based management and identity integration. HID is therefore strengthening distributors, system integrators, resellers and technology partners through training, solution enablement, technical resources and partner programmes. Most customers already operate legacy access infrastructure, making migration planning and integration especially important. This creates opportunities for partners across consulting, system design, deployment, lifecycle management and managed services. HID’s objective is to make these capabilities easier to build while enabling modern identity technologies to integrate effectively with existing customer environments. Inflow Technologies Creates Knowledge That Helps Partners Design, Deploy and Adopt IT Infrastructure RAJESH KUMAR SR. VICE PRESIDENT, TECH BU, INFLOW TECHNOLOGIES Inflow Technologies believes modern distribution is no longer about moving boxes but about creating capabilities and helping partners win complex opportunities. Its pre-sales team works alongside partners to understand customer challenges, architect solutions and develop differentiated propositions. A 24x7 Technical Assistance Centre provides an always-available technical backbone, while the Inflow Training Academy builds partner skills, certifications and expertise. Post-sales capabilities extend support beyond the transaction into implementation and technology lifecycle optimisation. Inflow’s partner growth strategy is built around empowerment, enablement and collaboration, combining strategic vendor partnerships, marketing initiatives, technical expertise and a broad technology portfolio. The objective is to create knowledge that helps resellers confidently design, deploy and support infrastructure solutions for customers. Ingram Micro Xvantage: Powering the Channel Ecosystem FLAVIO MORAES JUNIOR MD & CCE, INGRAM MICRO INDIA Ingram Micro is strengthening India’s channel ecosystem through continued investment in Xvantage, its AIpowered digital experiential platform. Xvantage simplifies partner access to technologies, expertise, solutions, services and insights while enabling customised, OEM-agnostic technology bundles for customers. Consultation and Professional Services further help partners identify opportunities, expand into emerging markets and pursue sustainable growth. The platform brings together AI, cloud, cybersecurity, financing and digital capabilities, supported by analytics that identify new opportunities. Its Integration Hub and Model Context Protocol Server enable real-time connectivity among AI assistants, platforms, tools and data. Ingram Micro’s objective is to create a more intelligent, connected ecosystem that allows partners to accelerate AI adoption securely and confidently. Jabra’s Approach to Partner Growth: Enablement, Conversion and Earning PETER JAYASEELAN, VP & MANAGING DIRECTOR SOUTH ASIA AND CHANNELS (APAC), JABRA Jabra believes AI can transform collaboration, but its effectiveness depends on the quality of the surrounding technology environment. The company is therefore focused on making professional collaboration simple, scalable and accessible to enterprises and SMEs. India remains a strongly partner-led market, with Jabra investing in training, certifications, solution knowledge and demand-generation support. As the market expands beyond personal audio towards video collaboration and meeting-room solutions, partners are being encouraged to develop broader solution expertise. Jabra summarises its strategy through three priorities: enablement, conversion and earning. By combining knowledge, demand generation and customer engagement with sustainable margins, the company wants partners to build higher-value, solution-led collaboration businesses and deepen their customer relationships. Powering India’s AI Journey through Intelligent Data Infrastructure GANESAN ARUMUGAM SENIOR DIRECTOR, CHANNEL SALES & ALLIANCES, APAC, NETAPP NetApp sees partners becoming even more important in the AI era as customers require infrastructure, cloud and AI expertise to unlock value from data. Its ecosystem spans data and AI specialists, traditional infrastructure partners and strategic alliances with companies supporting cloud adoption, modernisation and AI workloads. Through the refreshed Partner Sphere programme, NetApp is building competencies across AI, cloud transformation, cyber resilience and data infrastructure modernisation. Its intelligent data infrastructure approach enables enterprises to classify, govern and prepare existing data for AI without unnecessary movement or duplication. Operating across on-premises and hybrid-cloud environments, the platform aims to optimise storage and performance while reducing complexity, helping partners move from transactional selling towards delivering longer-term business outcomes. NPAV Considers Partners as an “Extended Arm” of Its Growth Strategy in India JAGANNATH PATTNAIK, HEAD – SALES & MARKETING STRATEGY, NET PROTECTOR CYBER SECURITY Net Protector Cyber Security is combining its own AI technology with a portfolio spanning antivirus, EPS, EDR, XDR, DLP, MFA and system-monitoring capabilities. Its Krypton System Insights platform provides real-time monitoring of areas including system performance and hard-disk health. NPAV’s channel ecosystem comprises nearly 19,000 partners across India, supported through training, technical assistance and product liquidation programmes. A dedicated partner portal enables dealers to monitor activations, schemes, promotions and renewals. Its three-tier channel structure covers platinum distributors, gold sub-distributors and silver end-userconnect partners. NPAV treats partners as an extended part of its organisation, supporting profitability through activation incentives, liquidation incentives, target-achievement bonuses and recognition for sustained business performance. Omnilink Treats Its Channel as an Extension of Its Centre of Excellence RAJESH DORA MANAGING DIRECTOR, OMNILINK TECHNOLOGY Omnilink views its channel not simply as a distribution layer but as an extension of its Centre of Excellence. The company shares OEM relationships, technical certifications and delivery playbooks with partners, helping them progress from individual product sales towards complete, outcome-led solutions. Where partners lack expertise in data-centre design, NOC/SOC operations or complex network architectures, Omnilink works alongside them to strengthen delivery capabilities. Its profitability strategy focuses on increasing the proportion of the customer lifecycle partners can own—from design and deployment through ongoing operations. Co-selling managed services, NOC/SOC-as-a-service and security operations creates recurring revenue, while joint solution architecture, presales assistance and transparent margin structures help partners build sustainable capabilities and customer trust. Putting Partners at the Heart of B2B Growth VIJAY SHARMA MANAGING DIRECTOR, OPTOMA INDIA Optoma’s India strategy is fundamentally channel-driven, reflecting its strong focus on the B2B market. The company equips partners with product knowledge, portfolio information, pricing guidance, solution expertise and regular training so they can confidently identify customer requirements and position appropriate Optoma solutions. Protecting partner profitability is equally important. Optoma uses opportunity-registration processes to safeguard business developed by partners, helping ensure that those investing time and resources in creating demand retain the commercial opportunity. This is particularly important because customers may not initially request Optoma specifically; partners often identify requirements and create demand themselves. By combining training, pricing support, commercial protection and product expertise, Optoma aims to build partner confidence, motivation and sustainable long-term B2B growth. Powering its Next Phase of Growth with an Enhanced Partner Strategy ASHISH P. DHAKAN MD & CEO, PRAMA HIKVISION INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED The supplied interview positions channel growth around a diversified technology portfolio, global brand partnerships and extensive pan-India infrastructure. It highlights reach across more than 700 locations, 57 branches, 50 service centres and 73 warehouses, alongside engagement with over 10,250 channel partners. The strategy focuses on enabling partners to participate in higher-value opportunities across enterprise IT, AI, cloud, cybersecurity, embedded and semiconductor technologies through pre-sales, solution design, technical support, marketing, credit and warranty services. Diversified offerings and stronger solution capabilities are presented as engines of sustainable partner growth, giving the ecosystem access to broader technology innovations and opportunities for improved returns. The supplied text, however, refers to Rashi Peripherals rather than Prama Hikvision. Rashi Peripherals Enabling Partners to Capture Higher-Value Opportunities RAJESH GOENKA DIRECTOR & CEO, RASHI PERIPHERALS Rashi Peripherals is strengthening India’s channel ecosystem through a diversified portfolio, global technology partnerships and value-added support. Its pan-India infrastructure spans 700+ locations, 57 branches, 50 service centres and 73 warehouses, enabling efficient logistics and last-mile reach. Working with over 10,250 channel partners, Rashi helps partners pursue higher-value opportunities across enterprise IT, AI, cloud, cybersecurity, embedded and semiconductor technologies. Support includes pre-sales, solution design, technical assistance, marketing, credit and warranty management.The company’s strategy focuses on expanding into higher-value technology segments and strengthening solution capabilities. By combining portfolio breadth, technology innovation and partner enablement, Rashi aims to improve partner profitability, generate better ROI and create sustainable long-term growth across India’s technology ecosystem. SAS Backs Partners with Skills and Solutions to Win Strategic Opportunities MANISH NAIR DIRECTOR, PARTNER SALES – INDIA, ASEAN & ANZ, SAS SAS sees partners playing a central role in extending enterprise-grade AI and analytics capabilities to organisations of different sizes. While SAS directly supports complex transformation programmes across sectors such as BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications and government, partners help SMEs access SAS Viya without requiring substantial infrastructure investments. Its partner strategy prioritises sustainable value creation through capabilities in AI, data and analytics, risk management, customer intelligence and industry-specific solutions. The SAS Partner Program supports enablement, certifications, solution development and go-to-market collaboration. Co-selling and co-innovation are important pillars, with SAS working alongside partners on business planning, pipeline development, customer engagement and solution creation, helping them compete for larger, more strategic transformation opportunities. Securonix Elevate Program Creates a Scalable Framework for Partner Growth DIPESH KAURA COUNTRY DIRECTOR, INDIA AND SAARC, SECURONIX Securonix describes itself as a partner-first organisation, investing in enablement, technical training, responsiveness, executive engagement and shared responsibility for customer outcomes. Its Elevate Partner Program provides resources and education around the Securonix Unified Defense SIEM platform and ThreatQ Threat Intelligence Platform. The company sees partners as strategic extensions of its business and intends to use the channel to reach SMB and mid-market customers beyond metros into Tier II and III markets. Elevate supports partner economics through competitive margins, subscription pricing, deal-registration discounts, co-selling, marketing development funds and joint go-to-market planning. Free core sales and technical training, certifications and access to technical specialists create a scalable framework designed to grow alongside partner commitment and performance. Building a Partner Ecosystem for Scalable, Service-Led Security Growth RAJEEV GUPTA DIRECTOR – SALES, INDIA & SAARC, SOPHOS “Sophos places partners at the centre of its India go-to-market strategy, with recent programme enhancements focused on flexibility, transparency and operational support. Sophos Partner Care provides 24x7 assistance, while its updated Partner Portal simplifies access to resources. The Sophos Partner Academy offers fast-track training and role-based certifications, extending opportunities to partners beyond metropolitan markets. Managed services are another growth priority, with MSP Flex and an expanded MSP programme providing usage-based pricing and automation. Sophos is helping partners pursue cross-sell, upsell and new customer opportunities around AIpowered defence, NG SIEM, MDR and XDR. Sophos Central and flexible commercial models further enable partners to build scalable, recurring-revenue cybersecurity services with lower operational complexity. Moving Partners Up the Surveillance Value Chain SANJEEV SEHGAL FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, SPARSH CCTV Sparsh CCTV views its channel ecosystem as a long-term growth partner rather than simply a route to market. With more than 2,000 associates across India, it wants partners to participate across the surveillance lifecycle—from products and projects to AI-led solutions and ongoing support. As surveillance evolves from standalone cameras towards integrated intelligent systems, Sparsh sees opportunities for distributors, VARs and system integrators to move higher up the value chain. Its strategy focuses on indigenous technology, STQC-certified solutions, portfolio breadth, technical enablement and after-sales support. Growth opportunities across transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, BFSI and smart cities can further help partners build project-led and recurring businesses around AI, cybersecurity, compliance and integrated surveillance solutions. Empowering India’s Digital Future by Securing Enterprises GANESH IYER MANAGING DIRECTOR, INDIA & SAARC, TRELLIX Trellix is investing in channel skills to help partners advise customers, implement cybersecurity solutions and provide ongoing support. Its Xtend Global Channel Partner Program provides sales and technical training, certifications through Trellix University, and marketing and technical resources supported by local distribution. As enterprises adopt AI, Trellix focuses on protecting data, maintaining regulatory compliance and preserving operational continuity. Trellix Data Loss Prevention and its AI Data Risk Dashboard provide visibility and controls over sensitive data interacting with sanctioned and shadow AI tools. Trellix Wise supports movement towards autonomous security operations by helping triage and investigate alerts across network, email, cloud and endpoints. Stronger partner expertise remains central to delivering these capabilities effectively. Enabling the Channel for an AI-Driven Business Landscape SHRINIVAS TIMMANAGOUDAR, HEAD – SALES, PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS, TVS ELECTRONICS TVS Electronics is moving beyond a traditional reseller approach towards building a stronger, more capable partner ecosystem spanning distributors, system integrators, resellers and solution providers. Its investments focus on product knowledge, technical training, pre-sales assistance and market development, with deeper capabilities being developed around AIDC, mobility, POS and digital solutions. The objective is not merely to increase partner numbers but to help partners create greater customer value and sustainable businesses. TVS Electronics also wants partners to generate revenue beyond hardware through integration, services, solutions and recurring engagement. Sector specialisation across enterprise, retail, manufacturing, logistics, BFSI and government can further improve partner differentiation, margins, predictability and long-term customer relationships. Powering Partner Growth through a Sovereign Edge & Security Fabric RAHUL RAJ SINGH MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, VERGECLOUD VergeCloud views the channel as a growth function capable of helping enterprises evaluate, adopt and operate increasingly complex technologies. Its objective is to build partners that can identify opportunities, create demand, win enterprise accounts and generate recurring revenue around its Unified Next-Gen Edge & Security Fabric Platform. Structured channel programmes, SPIF incentives, sales and pre-sales assistance, technical training, workshops and lifecycle support underpin this strategy. Its portfolio spans edge security, authoritative DNS, WAF, API security, DDoS protection and CDN services. In the AI era, VergeCloud is positioning beyond individual security products towards an India-first sovereign edge and security fabric designed to strengthen availability, application security, data residency, operational control and regulatory alignment. Fueling Partner Growth with AI-Driven Solutions and Market Co-Investment BHARDWAJ NAIK CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER – INDIA, APAC & MEA, VIDEONETICS Videonetics treats channel partners as strategic collaborators capable of combining its AI-driven video security technologies with local market expertise and customer relationships. With more than 200 partners and a growing ecosystem across India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, its programme supports demand generation, marketing, technology enablement, rewards and recognition. Distribution partnerships with Inflow Technologies, Beetel Teletech and RAH Infotech further extend market reach through their established reseller ecosystems. Videonetics’ portfolio includes True AI and Deep Learning-powered video management, AI-enabled video analytics, traffic management and facial-recognition solutions. By combining technology innovation with distributors’ reach and partners’ implementation capabilities, the company aims to accelerate adoption of end-to-end intelligent video management across industries and geographies. Data Trust Imperative Behind India’s AI Ambitions SANDEEP BHAMBURE, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND VICE PRESIDENT – INDIA AND SAARC, VEEAM SOFTWARE Veeam sees AI readiness fundamentally as a data-trust challenge. While AI can improve productivity, automation and digital services, organisations must ensure that underlying data remains accurate, secure, governed, available and recoverable. Growing expectations around privacy, governance and cyber resilience further increase this requirement. Veeam’s cited research indicates that although 88% of organisations are using or piloting AI agents, only 7% consider themselves fully AI-ready, while 95% report data challenges slowing AI progress. Veeam therefore focuses on strengthening data resilience, governance and recovery across cloud, virtual, physical and SaaS environments. The objective is to maintain visibility and control over AI-related data while ensuring businesscritical information remains protected and recoverable. Yotta Moves Partners Up the Value Chain with AI and Cloud NITIN M. JADHAV PRESIDENT & CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, YOTTA Yotta believes India’s AI and digital transformation requires a strong ecosystem of partners with deep understanding of local industries and customer requirements. Its strategy moves beyond traditional reselling by enabling partners to create, implement and manage complete solutions across cloud, AI, cybersecurity, data centres and managed services. Platforms such as Yntraa and Shakti allow partners to address growing sovereign-cloud and AI-infrastructure requirements, supported by training, certifications, sales enablement and commercial programmes. Yotta is also strengthening joint go-to-market activities and recurring-revenue opportunities. Its success metric extends beyond partner numbers to the revenue, margins, capabilities and customer relationships partners build while moving higher up the value chain from infrastructure resale towards complete business solutions. Empowering Partners with Intelligence, Opportunity and Profitability GAURAV SAXENA, DIRECTOR – CHANNELS & ALLIANCES, INDIA & SAARC, VEEAM SOFTWARE Veeam is strengthening channel profitability by expanding partnerships, deepening engagement and using business-intelligence tools to give partners greater visibility into customer opportunities, renewals and upsell potential. Its Veeam ProPartner Network provides a unified gateway to training, certifications, sales enablement and marketing resources. Customer expansion portals help partners identify renewal cycles and expansion opportunities, while profitability programmes and recurring-revenue models are designed to strengthen margins. The ecosystem brings together distributors, resellers, cloud service providers and alliance partners around modern data protection and cyber resilience. By combining real-time business intelligence, streamlined enablement and commercial incentives, Veeam aims to help partners scale across SMB, enterprise and cloud-service-provider segments while addressing increasing demand for resilient data environments. Making AI work for Indian businesses: from data to actionable decisions Siddharth Mahajani, Vice President & Managing Director – Indian Subcontinent, Infor "As Indian businesses scale, the ability to turn data into timely, actionable decisions is becoming increasingly important for staying competitive. At Infor, we believe AI delivers the greatest value when it is embedded within the industry-specific processes where businesses already operate, rather than treated as a standalone technology. Our Infor CloudSuites combine industry-specific enterprise capabilities with cloud technology, while the Infor Velocity Suite brings together industry AI agents, GenAI, process mining and automation. Together, these capabilities help organisations identify inefficiencies, automate routine work and make faster, more informed decisions within their existing workflows. Infor’s industry AI agents are designed around specific processes, roles and workflows, giving businesses the context and domain knowledge needed to apply AI in practical, measurable ways. This approach is already being adopted by Indian enterprises as they modernise their operations. Godrej & Boyce, for instance, has been progressing its cloud transformation journey with Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise, building on its use of Infor solutions across its manufacturing operations. For Indian SMEs in particular, industry specificity helps make technology adoption more practical and scalable. Infor’s Industry Process Catalogs (IPCs) provide preconfigured, industry-specific processes, configurations and supporting content that can help standardise core operations, streamline implementation and reduce the time and effort required to deploy a CloudSuite. DRIVING PARTNER SUPPORT & PROFITABILITY Our partner strategy is centred on building an ecosystem where partners can develop deeper industry expertise, expand their service capabilities and create new opportunities around cloud, AI and digital transformation. Through the Infor Partner Network (IPN), we work with partners that innovate, sell and deliver Infor solutions, providing access to technology, training, sales support, marketing resources and market development programmes. This enables partners to build differentiated capabilities while helping customers realise greater value from their Infor investments. A key part of this strategy is enabling partners to move beyond traditional software implementation and build specialised practices around industry cloud, integration, AI, automation and ongoing application services. This creates opportunities for partners to participate across the customer lifecycle from implementation and migration to optimisation and continuous transformation. India provides strong examples of this model. Godrej Infotech, an Infor Channel, Alliance, Development and Service Partner in India, has built expertise across implementation, customisation, integration, application support and maintenance across industries including manufacturing, logistics, retail, automotive and transportation. Importantly, Godrej Infotech is also an Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise (CSIE) user, with expertise in implementing and supporting the platform. This combination gives its consultants first-hand experience of real-world manufacturing environments, which they can bring to customer engagements." Building the AI Ecosystem with Partnerships, Productivity and Responsible Innovation Venkatesh Thenkarai, Chief Digital Officer, Bahwan CyberTek. “We see partnerships as a way to build something together, not simply as a route to selling each other's products. We work with technology partners including AWS, Oracle, SAP, IBM, OutSystems and Temenos, as well as specialist partners such as iFIX. The focus is on combining capabilities to solve specific customer problems and take those solutions to market together. AI is also changing the economics of IT services. The traditional model often links growth directly to people and hours: as the volume of work increases, the cost of delivering it increases too. Agentic AI changes that equation. The same team can potentially manage a much larger volume of work because software takes on more of the repetitive operational load. That creates an opportunity for both BCT and our partners to move beyond competing on headcount and toward creating measurable business outcomes. Our role is to provide the platforms, frameworks and orchestration capabilities that help partners make that transition. ADOPTING RESPONSIBLE AI The more autonomy we give AI, the more important it becomes to know what it is doing and why. That principle is built into our approach. Our agentic platform includes trust layerS designed to make automated decisions traceable and auditable, with clear accountability for outcomes. We also do not expect customers to replace everything they already have to adopt AI. Our platform works with existing ITSM, ERP and business systems, allowing organizations to build on their current technology, security and governance frameworks. That is particularly important in regulated industries such as banking. For us, responsible AI means making autonomy useful without making it a black box. People should be able to understand what the system did, why it did it and who remains accountable.” Building the AI Enterprise Together with Partners Dinesh Kumar Parikh, Vice President, Product Management, Newgen Software “Our partner growth strategy at Newgen is anchored in three principles: co-innovation, capability building, and shared value creation. As enterprises increasingly seek AI-led transformation, partners play a critical role in delivering industry-specific solutions and accelerating customer outcomes. We invest significantly in enabling our partner ecosystem with differentiated solutions built on the NewgenONE Platform, helping them deliver intelligent enterprise orchestration through embedded AI, automation, and industry-specific transformation initiatives. Beyond technology enablement, our focus is on creating sustainable and profitable growth models. By emphasizing recurring revenue streams, faster time-to-value, and joint customer success, we help partners build stronger businesses while expanding Newgen's market presence. We view our partners not merely as channels but as strategic collaborators who help enterprises transition from disconnected technology investments to orchestrated, intelligent operations that deliver measurable business outcomes. HELPING ENTERPRISES & SMEs STAY COMPETITIVE We help Indian enterprises and SMEs remain competitive in the AI era by transforming complex, document-intensive, and customer-facing operations into intelligent, automated, and insight-driven business processes. Our enterprise orchestration platform, where AI is embedded in operations, enables organizations to rapidly build, adapt, and scale digital solutions without lengthy development cycles, empowering them to respond more quickly to evolving market dynamics and rising customer expectations. For Indian SMEs, democratizing access to AI is particularly important. Advanced technologies should not be limited to large enterprises with extensive resources. Newgen's scalable and configurable platform makes enterprise-grade AI accessible without significant complexity or capital investment, enabling SMEs to drive efficiency, improve agility, and compete more effectively in an increasingly digital economy. As AI reshapes industries, the real opportunity lies not simply in digitizing processes, but in making them intelligent. Our focus is on helping organizations move beyond fragmented transformation initiatives toward intelligent enterprise orchestration, where AI is embedded directly into operations, enabling decisions, workflows, and customer experiences to evolve continuously at scale.” Scaling Enterprise AI through Outcome-Led Innovation Ashish Singh Panwar, Head - Enterprise AI, TO THE NEW “AI competitiveness is about translating domain expertise into intelligence. Most Indian enterprises and SMEs have decades of business knowledge trapped in spreadsheets, processes, and people's heads. The challenge isn't getting AI, it's moving from experiments to production systems that actually work. We see enterprise AI as a six-dimensional challenge spanning domain, process, platform, talent, trust, and intelligence. This calls for leveraging domain expertise and institutional knowledge accumulated across hundreds of prior engagements with AI-native ways of working, the right models and platforms, new engineering archetypes, governance, context, and agent orchestration. Our focus is on helping enterprises move from AI experimentation to production. We combine the following 3 steps ● First, we embed our engineers directly with client teams for the full engagement. Combining with our AIDLC delivery model, we commit to and deliver faster build and GTM to our customers. ● Second, we build reusable solutions, the second AI project costs less than the first because we've already solved the hard parts. We have a suite of agentic solutions across industry and high impact usecases that we leverage for speedy outcomes. ● Third, we treat AI as a production problem from day one: governance, guardrails, testing, monitoring. No six-month pilots that never ship. We also recognize that AI is inherently non-deterministic. Our approach therefore combines AI-by-design with evaluation, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop mechanisms wherever required. This approach has helped us achieve 30% faster engineering velocity, reduced operational costs and >10% uplift in customer engagements across touchpoints. DRIVING PARTNER GROWTH & PROFITABILITY The partner ecosystem is moving from capability-led engagements toward outcome-based partnerships. Our strategy is therefore to work with partners around the business problem and measurable outcome we are jointly trying to achieve, rather than limiting the relationship to technology consumption or resource deployment. AI is creating an opportunity for partners to move further up the value chain, from resale and implementation toward AI engineering, reusable solution IP, industry-specific accelerators, managed services and continuous optimization. We see strong potential in combining a partner's customer relationships, industry knowledge and market reach with our engineering, AI and transformation capabilities. Together, this can help customers move faster from experimentation to production while creating repeatable solutions that can be taken across accounts and industries.” Driving Productivity, Resilience and Growth through Hybrid AI Arvind Chabra, Director - One Channel, Lenovo India “Indian organizations have largely moved beyond AI experimentation and are now focused on translating AI investments into measurable business outcomes such as revenue growth, operational efficiency, improved customer experiences and business reinvention. At Lenovo, our approach is centered on helping organizations adopt and scale AI without disrupting existing operations. We combine outcome-led advisory, AI-ready infrastructure, intelligent devices, software and services through our end-to-end Hybrid AI strategy, enabling customers to move from AI exploration to production with confidence. Our full-stack AI portfolio spans intelligent devices such as AI PCs, workstations, smartphones and tablets; robust infrastructure including servers, storage, edge computing, high-performance computing and software-defined infrastructure; along with AI software, solutions and managed services. This allows organizations to deploy AI where it delivers the greatest value, whether at the device, edge, data center or cloud. For Indian SMEs and mid-market enterprises, we recognize that AI adoption must be practical and economically viable. Lenovo helps these organizations build right-sized AI environments tailored to their workload requirements, including smaller GPU-based AI clusters that provide enterprise-class AI capabilities without the complexity or scale typically associated with hyperscale deployments. This enables businesses of all sizes to access AI innovation while maintaining cost efficiency. To further accelerate AI adoption, Lenovo is launching Lenovo AI Express , a new program designed to simplify and speed up the deployment of on-premises AI infrastructure. AI Express extends the value of Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage™ by providing validated, GPU-optimized AI infrastructure configurations that are pre-integrated with software and services, enabling organizations to move from AI use case identification to deployment significantly faster. At the end-user level, Lenovo is also redefining workplace productivity through AI-powered experiences such as Lenovo Qira , making computing more contextual, personalized and connected. Combined with our Hybrid AI architecture, this enables organizations to securely leverage AI wherever data is created and decisions are made, while maintaining the flexibility to balance performance, cost, security and compliance requirements. Ultimately, Lenovo's focus is not just on helping organizations adopt AI, but on helping them achieve meaningful, scalable business outcomes. Through a combination of Hybrid AI capabilities, AI-ready infrastructure, intelligent devices and innovations such as Lenovo AI Express, we are enabling Indian businesses to accelerate their AI journey, improve productivity, strengthen resilience and remain competitive in an increasingly AI-driven economy."
