22nd StarNite Awards 2023 Celebrates 'Partner First to Partner Priority' approach in Indian IT Industry

The StarNite Awards 2023, held on 17th of November at hotel- Le Meridien, New Delhi, brought together a distinguished gathering of technology leaders from across the country to celebrate the achievements of India's IT industry. The event featured insightful discussions, keynote addresses, and presentations highlighting the transformative impact of technology.

The Star Nite Awards( SNA) was opened with a welcome note by VARINDIA Chief Editor Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu where he acknowledged the opportunities for VARs and Partners in the country . He also discussed the opportunities for partners such as rapid digitization, the aging IT infrastructure, the screenless ecosystem, and the emergence of the AI and Gen AI. He has also emphasized the dynamic and challenging landscape of the IT industry, driven by innovations such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence. The convergence of connectivity and cloud technologies was identified as a significant growth opportunity for Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs).  

The morning session commenced with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony led by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Publisher-VARINDIA, and esteemed guests from the industry, including Darsshan Somaiya, Head Strategic Partner & Alliance- Hitachi Vantara; Col. Suhail Zaidi (Retd), Director General-MAIT; Deepak Sar, Distribution & Alliance Director- Hitachi Vantara; Suchit Karnik, Chief Operating Officer-RAH Infotech; Lata Singh, Partner- GIC Strategic Partner Leader- IBM Consulting; Dr. Biswajit Mohapatra, Head of Customer Solutions Management, India and South Asia- AWS; Pradeepta Mishra, Co-Founder & Chief Architect- Data Safeguard Inc.; Devesh Rastogi, President, FAIITA; Champakraj Gurjar, President- TAIT; Alok Gupta, President- PCAIT; S. Mohini Ratna, Editor-VARINDIA and many other dignitaries.  

The summit kick-started with an industry address by Devesh Rastogi, President-FAIITA was the first speaker on the opening day of SNA. He addressed the gathering with his welcome address and the keynote address given by Col Suhail Zaidi (Retd), Director General- MAIT on the topic “Partner First to Partner priority”. He started his session with the evolution of the IT industry and channels. The core focus of his session was on elevating the customer experience from the partner’s point of view. 

The morning session witnessed Channel Empowerment Session, where Deepak Sar, Distribution & Alliance Director-Hitachi Vantara had Moderated the Panel discussion session. The panelist who have joined the session were Darsshan Somaiya, Head Strategic Partner & Alliances - Hitachi Vantara; Suchit Karnik, Chief Operating Officer-RAH Infotech and Jay Sengupta, V.P.( Sales)- PC Solutions Pvt Ltd. 

The Corporate Presentations featured key industry players, including Dattatray Katkar from Allied Telesis and Pradeepta Mishra from Data Safeguard Inc. shared their expertise on data security, privacy, and cloud solutions.  

The first panel discussion session were held among the leaders of IT Associations. The session was moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Editor-in-chief, VARINDIA. The panelists have joined the session were : Alok Gupta, President-PCAIT; Champak Gurjar, President –TAIT; Prashant Jain, Chairman ISODA; Navin Gupta, General Secretary- FAIITA; Praful Desai, Member- FITAG-AHMEDABAD and Puneet Singhal, President-CMDA( Delhi). 

The afternoon session continued with engaging presentations by industry leaders such as Maj Gen Rajesh Arya, Sr. Consultant and Head Business Development and Training, CP Plus, Piyush Verma, Partner Account Manager, North & East India, Kaspersky; Vikas Jain, Manager - Systems Engineering, India Channel, Nutanix; Amod Phadke, COO & Director Contentverse & Director, Computhink; Vikas Awasthi, Director, Government & PSU (India & SAARC) - Check Point and Dinesh Kumar, Sales Director-India & SAARC from SOTI. 

Panel discussions with VAR community leaders added depth to the discussions on business transformation and industry trends. Panel discussions, moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in the IT industry. The panelists joined the session were: Anant Berry, National Distribution Manager- Red Hat India; Ganesan Arumugam, Director-Channel Sales- India  & SAARC- NetApp; Kapil Sarin, Country Marketing Leader, Software-  IBM India; Sanjay Chaudhary, VP-Marketing- Lentra; Nagesh Belur- CMO- I Value Group and  Pawan Awasthi, Head Of Marketing- NVIDIA India. 

The afternoon session unfolded with a dynamic display of insights, discussions, and accolades, captivating the audience with a spectrum of industry perspectives and innovations. The session commenced with an engaging panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Chief Editor of VARINDIA, featuring senior leaders from the VAR community. The insightful discourse delved into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the technology landscape.  The panelists joined the session were: Gurpreet Singh, Founder and MD- Arrow PC Networks; Manasi Shah, Director- Macow infotech; Sewak Nautial, Managing Director- Spark Technologies; Vishal Bindra, CEO- ACPL Networks and  Altaf Halde, Sr. V.P.-Network Intelligence Pvt. Ltd. 

Following the panel discussion, the stage witnessed presentations from industry giants, Pure Storage and Fortinet. Jithesh Chembil, Head Channel -India- Pure Storage, and Rajeev Abichandani, Sr. Channel Manager - India & SAARC, Key Partners, Fortinet shared profound insights into channel-focused business strategies, and cutting-edge approaches to cybersecurity, respectively.  

The highlight of the afternoon was the announcement of the "Eminent VARs of the Year 2023 Awards." With 18 distinct award categories, the event celebrated excellence and innovation in the Value-Added Reseller (VAR) community.  

After that Dell Technologies took the spotlight with a presentation by Amol Srivastava, Director-Channels, offering valuable insights into the channel business, marking a significant contribution to the enriching session.  

The afternoon session culminated in the felicitation of Channel Chief in the Indian tech industry. S Mohini Ratna, Editor VARINDIA, provided an overview of the revolutionary impact of Channel Chiefs in bringing technology and partner ecosystems together. As the afternoon session drew to a close, attendees were invited to a short tea-break, setting the stage for the highly anticipated evening session of the 22nd VARINDIA Star Nite Awards 2023.  

The evening session of the StarNite Awards 2023 witnessed a convergence of industry luminaries, thought leaders, and technology enthusiasts, marking a spectacular showcase of insights, recognitions, and visionary talks. The session commenced with an invigorating welcome address by S Mohini Ratna, Editor of VARINDIA, who set the stage for the evening by delving into the Channel Leadership Survey 2023 and providing an overview of the Indian IT Industry. Her address provided valuable context for the awards and discussions that followed.  

A moment of solemnity followed with the Lamp Lighting Ceremony, presided over by Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, Publisher and Editor-in-chief, and joined by esteemed dignitaries, including S. N. Tripathi, Director General- IIPA, Govt. Of India; Dr. Pankaj Dikshit, CTO-GEM; Dr. Rishi Mohan Bhatnagar, President-Lava International; Sanjiv Krishen, Chairman Of the Board- IRIS Computers Ltd. ; Dr. Biswajit Mohapatra, Head of Customer Solutions Management (CSM)- AWS; Darsshan Somaiya, Partner sales Organisation- Hitachi Vantara; Ganesan Arumugam, Director- Channel Sales-India & SAARC- Netapp; Amol Srivastava, Director, Channels North- Dell Technologies India; Jithesh Chembil, Head Channel -India- Pure Storage;  Rajeev Abichandani, Sr. Channel Manager - India & SAARC, Key Partners, Fortinet; Dattatray Katkar, Head of Business, India & SAARC- Allied Telesis; Amitansu Satpathy, Group Managing Director, Best Power Equipments; Rajesh Goenka, CEO- Rashi Peripherals Ltd. and other distinguished personalities.  

The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the "Channel Policy Hand Book". This initiative celebrates corporates transparently sharing their channel-friendly policies, fostering a culture of openness and collaboration within the industry.  

Rajesh Goenka, CEO- Rashi Peripherals Ltd., shared his vision for the Indian VARs and Partners, emphasizing the role of the partner ecosystem in serving the industry. The session continued with engaging moments of interaction, including a thought-provoking question-and-answer segment, where attendees had the opportunity to test their knowledge on crucial concepts in cyberspace.  

S. N. Tripathi, Director General- IIPA, Govt. of India, shared his insights on protecting against the increasing cyberattacks, providing valuable guidance to the audience.  

Dr. Pankaj Dikshit, CTO, Govt. e-Marketplace enlightened the audience on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and its role in enhancing transparency, efficiency, and speed in public procurement.  

A series of enlightening speeches followed, featuring industry leaders such as Dr. Rishi Mohan Bhatnagar, President - Lava International Limited and Darsshan Somaiya, Partner sales Organisation- Hitachi Vantara. The Thought Leadership roundtable provided a glimpse into the present and future technologies endorsed by their respective organizations.  

The evening reached its pinnacle with the announcement of the Lifetime Achievement Award, conferred upon Sanjiv Krishen, Chairman Of the Board- IRIS Computers Ltd. A pioneer in the IT industry with over 48 years of experience, Krishen received the prestigious honor for his exceptional contributions to the sector.  

The session concluded with the recognition of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) of the year 2023-24, and Channel Leadership Survey Awards acknowledging the pivotal role they play in driving the adoption of emerging technologies.  

The VARINDIA StarNite Awards 2023 promises to be a landmark event, celebrating the heroes of the IT industry and recognizing the innovative spirit of Made in India companies. The StarNite Awards 2023 provided a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and recognition of excellence in the Indian IT industry. We extend our gratitude to the sponsors, speakers, and attendees for their valuable contributions to make this event a grand success. 

Devesh Rastogi, President- FAIITA  

“The government of India has come up with a policy where it set up a National Traders Welfare Board on 19th July of 2023. Though it was the election agenda of the present government, but it has taken shape little late because of covid situations. Interestingly, the Board has Joint Secretaries of nine departments along with the channel fraternity of the IT industry.  The entire representation of the IT industry will be there through us. VARINDIA will act as a vehicle through which the entire industry can get across their pain points that needs to be addressed and I being a Board member of this traders body will be able to help in this regard.”

Channel Empowerment Session 

Yati Mago, Sr. Solution Consultant – Hitachi Vantara India   

“Hitachi Vantara is going to have a virtual storage platform which is going to address all your hybrid cloud requirements. There is going to be a single data fabric for all kind of workloads going forward. This is going to be true for even legacy workloads. The first layer of the platform is the Data platform. So whatever workloads we will have – be it AI, databases – can be addressed through this single platform.”  

Madhur Sajwan, Solution Consultant - Hitachi Vantara India 

“To make the experience of the hybrid cloud centric customers more flexible and enjoyable, we are working on a new strategy that will provide the right solution or the application on the data at the right time. We are living in a hybrid cloud environment as of now and this we know creates siloes – we have datacenters, on prem, cloud environments, edge environments. Data is unknown as we have all kinds of data and we also don’t know the quality of the data. Hitachi Vantara is trying to solve this issue by providing all types of data centric solutions.” 

Col Suhail Zaidi (Retd), Director- General, MAIT 

“The IT industry, which MAIT represents, depends on the growth of the domestic industry and the demand in the market apart from the various initiatives taken by the government. We believe that this sector consists of four dimensions within it – the first is the consumer electronics (laptops, smartphones), the IT peripherals (printers, scanners, keyboard), the networking & the communication equipment (router, modem, switches) and then IT components (semiconductors, chips).  This industry has rapidly grown over a period of time and the growth has been consistent since 2017 when the market was around $43 billion.” 

Suchit Karnik, Chief Operating Officer- RAH Infotech 

“RAH Infotech is a Value Added Distributor for Hitachi Vantara, a data driven global organization. It manages, protects, transforms, and accelerates your data. We all understand data is in today’s world and along with that data security is equally important. RAH Infotech, being a trusted partner for data and networking security, has that synergy with Hitachi Vantara. It is a very important and strategic partnership that we have; both of us share the common goal of managing and securing the data for an organization and adding value to the business.”  

Dattatray Katkar, Director Alliance- Allied Telesis 

“Allied Telesis is an AI-enabled end-to-end network security company. We have been operating in India from last seventeen years. We understand that there are already many OEMs present in the market and so we try to bring value addition to partners. In current scenario when most of the OEMs are struggling for deliveries, we can deliver the products in a much shorter timeline since we have in-house end-to-end design, develop and manufacturing capabilities. A common challenge that every CIO/CTO feels still persists is the absence of a management module or a seamless digital delivery. In today’s time, if there is a network loss then it is a business loss for the organization. Because entire business is running on applications and entire applications are running on networks.”  

Pradeepta Mishra, Co-Founder & Chief Architect- Data Safeguard Inc 

“What is the different between data privacy and data security? While data security is about restricting unauthorised access to data. But what is data privacy? Do you want your personal data to be made public by someone else or marketing or branding purpose, probably not? So, we have seen data privacy laws coming up globally with the government of almost all country formulating policies and guidelines around it – like GDPR, CCPA. These laws are designed to protect privacy of personal information which is not supposed to be shared on public platforms. A recent incident of the leaking of Aadhaar data of 80 crore Indians on the dark web is a major cause of concern.” 

Maj Gen Rajesh Arya, Sr Consultant and Head Business Development & Training, CP Plus 

“With a visionary approach, CP Plus has achieved remarkable growth, expanding fivefold over the past five years and establishing itself as a household name. Over the last 15 years, the escalating demand for safety and security, fueled in part by the influence of social media and the global security landscape, has propelled CP Plus to the forefront. In response to this growing need, CP Plus strives to provide a sense of security to individuals and communities. CP Plus has experienced a surge in demand, exemplified by a substantial order of five and a half lakh security cameras from our partners. These cameras are slated for installation across India, catering to the security requirements of elections in five states over a fixed period. Demonstrating our commitment to meeting such demands, CP Plus boasts a robust manufacturing capacity of approximately 15 lakh cameras per month. In anticipation of heightened demand during the summer season, CP Plus proactively responded by establishing a cutting-edge factory with a staggering capacity of 16 lakh cameras per month. This facility now stands as the world's largest CCTV manufacturing unit outside of China. This significant leap in production capacity underscores CP Plus's dedication to providing innovative and reliable security solutions on a global scale.” 

Jitesh Chembil, Head Channel - India, Pure Storage

"For the last nine years we have been gaining market share, every year we have been gaining 20% of market shares from our competitors. So, why we are doing that is because we deliver outcomes. For example, we consume the lowest amount of power and space. Our equipment consumes less power which is less than your microwave oven at home. It is 10 times more reliable because you have less service visits. The system has a lot of in-built automation and ML capability and it automatically dials out and a smaller number of service engineer visits required. Second, we give almost 50% lower TCO and are more reliable. We are more consistent from a product line perspective because we serve all the SAN, NAS and content based storage."

Rajeev Abichandani, Sr. Channel Manager - India & SAARC, Key Partners, Fortinet 

"The cybersecurity market in India is close to three billion dollars in 2023 and it is growing at 30% CAGR. The opportunity in this space is humongous. If you see our feet on the street, there are more than 200 sales guys. Also, we are the number one peer play cybersecurity company in India. We have more than 800 engineers in Bangalore and Pune and are working on Make in India solutions. We are a 100% channel centric company or a channel first company. We are known for next-generation firewalls." 

 Amol Srivastava, Director – Channels, Dell Technologies

"At Dell, our vision is to be the preferred transformational technology vendor for our partners and distributors. We are very focused on three things – growing and modernizing our core business, building new opportunities and how to make it easier to do business with Dell and also enhance your experience so that you come and transact with us time and again. We are truly a partner first organization. In our approach of partner first strategy what we also do is we talk about the opportunities on the horizon and the incoming challenges. That is how we win every time."

Rajesh Goenka, CEO, Rashi Peripherals Ltd.

"Rashi Peripherals is a 33-year young company, incepted in the year 1989. Today, our pride is our infrastructure which is unprecedented in the country. Currently we have 50 city physical presence in terms of branch offices, warehouses and service centers. Our endeavour to expand and penetrate into smaller towns and cities continues.

Rashi Peripherals is a pure channel company. At Rashi more than 90% of the business happens through channels. We work with our channel partners, we support them in pre-sales, post-sales tech support and we also create some channel financing schemes both in-house and third-party. Our objective always is to strengthen channel partners to expand the presence. Our vision is - we want IT products to be made available in each of the 850 districts of India."

S. N. Tripathi, Director General- IIPA, Govt. Of India

"When India is digitizing at a speed and scale which we call population scale, we are leaving a lot of data in the open which is there for sale, re-sale, re-branding, re-packaging but that is also for the thieves and cyber fraudsters to misuse and create deep fakes. Today, we are leaders in zero cost transaction banking. One-tenth billion transactions happen on UPI every month."  

Piyush Verma, Partner Account Manager, North & East India- Kaspersky  

“Kaspersky’s commitment goes beyond just providing access to source code; it involves a comprehensive strategy, collaboration with global entities, and a robust product line, ensuring holistic cybersecurity for diverse clientele. Our global outreach extends to safeguarding over 220,000 customers. In addition to collaborating with corporate, SMB, and consumer entities, we actively partner with global organizations like Interpol to combat cyber threats. In the realm of cybersecurity, our approach encompasses the triad of technology, people, and processes. Our product line is strategically segmented into three stages. Beginning with foundational products like Kaspersky Endpoint Security, we progress to advanced solutions such as Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security for workloads and Kaspersky Internet Gateway Security for network security. Our expertise extends to Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), supported by certified professionals offering training programs ranging from penetration testing to reverse engineering and incident response. Our focus on Data Residency Solutions (DRS) and our capabilities on the network side, including Internet Gateway and email security, serve as integral components of our Holistic Detection and Response (HDR) solution. These components act as sensors, enhancing the efficacy of our cybersecurity framework.”  

Vikas Jain, Manager - Systems Engineering, India Channel, Nutanix 

 “Every modern company requires automation that can proactively engage machinery without relying on human intervention for data input or instructions. In the pursuit of market leadership, organizations are compelled to revamp their infrastructure, recognizing the critical role IT plays in contemporary business operations. The transformative process is indispensable for sustainable expansion; a failure to adapt hampers growth prospects. In the dynamic landscape of business, achieving growth is imperative to outpace competitors and avoid stagnation. Simultaneously, businesses are cautious about risk mitigation, preferring a measured approach to change implementation to avert potential disruptions. Striking a balance between growth and risk mitigation is crucial. Budgetary constraints present a significant challenge for organizations aspiring to grow. In the current business climate, every organization grapples with the necessity to achieve more with fewer financial resources. Additionally, the skill development of employees stands out as another hurdle. Organizations are increasingly seeking to enhance productivity within compressed timeframes. This is where channel partners play a pivotal role. In the past, infrastructure operated primarily either on-premises or remotely. However, the landscape has evolved significantly, with a multitude of new locations emerging for infrastructure deployment. The prevalence of SaaS applications, the establishment of branch offices, and the existence of local offices add layers of complexity to the contemporary business environment. This complexity presents an opportunity for channel partners, offering both technological solutions and services, to provide valuable support amid advancing business landscapes.”

Amod Phadke - COO & Director Contentverse & Director Computhink India 

Computhink celebrating Three Decades of Global Success, Innovation, and Partnership Excellence 

“We take immense pride in our journey, having initiated our business operations in the US and Europe before expanding into India approximately three years ago. Our gratitude extends to our robust partner community, whose unwavering support has contributed significantly to our success, not only within India but on a global scale. Established globally for 30 years, our clientele has been with us since the inception of our operations. We place great emphasis on ensuring our partners receive unwavering support, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our expert-only service approach, tailoring support to specific customer requirements across various verticals. With expertise in computing and a formidable 29-year presence in the document management system sector, our success is intricately linked to the invaluable contributions of our partners and the evolving needs of our customers. The trademark of a paperless office has been our ownership for the past 29 years, a symbol of our enduring commitment to innovation. The last few years have witnessed the evolution of our products, guided by the dynamic requirements articulated by our customers. The global recognition of our enterprise version, Content Version Enterprise (CVE) 2023, has elevated us to the ranks of the top four companies globally, a source of immense pride, particularly in making a significant impact in India. In the post-COVID era, the importance of document availability, anytime and anywhere, has become evident.”

Vikas Awasthi, Director, Government & PSU (India & SAARC) - Check Point 

“In this era, the spotlight is on the surge of new cyber attack reports in 2022, marking a progression from 2019 when large-scale attacks were first observed. Despite a reduction in the sheer number of attacks, their potential impact has increased exponentially. Notably, state-sponsored invasions are on the rise, with attacks on utilities reaching unprecedented levels in India. Additionally, the infamous occurrence of an entire country being held ransom due to ransomware underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity strategies. 

The first fundamental principle in cybersecurity is comprehensive defense, closely followed by the second principle of consolidation. As the landscape involves dealing with diverse siloed solutions, there is a growing conversation about consolidating these security measures—an idea endorsed by Gartner. Collaborative information sharing emerges as the third key principle, emphasizing the importance of a united front against cyber threats. Preparing a response plan involves understanding cyber hygiene, with the realization that the human element plays a pivotal role. The second aspect is cultivating a prevention mindset, transcending mere protection to actively preventing challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) becomes indispensable in this scenario, given the vast amounts of data involved, ensuring a faster, more efficient, and effective response. The comprehensive, consolidated, collaborative, and AI-driven approach forms the foundation of cybersecurity preparedness. The four pillars—comprehensive defense, consolidation, collaboration, and AI-driven solutions—become the cornerstone for response plan preparation. The emphasis lies on a prevention-first approach that is both adaptable and AI-based, recognizing the need for scalability in dealing with massive amounts of data and understanding the broader cybersecurity landscape.” 

Dinesh Kumar, Sales Director-India & SAARC- SOTI 

SOTI empowering success through its Partner Program Journey  

“I take immense pride in the journey we have undertaken to establish a partner program, viewing it through the lens of a meticulous process. Typically, there are eight key ingredients integrated into the recipe for success. Beyond the well-known components contributing to success, the emotional aspect of belonging, shared goals, mutual engagement, common values, and a shared destiny elevate a partner program to a higher level. This emotional connection forms the essence of a partner's priority, and it's precisely what defines our partner program at SOTI. Our program seamlessly transcends regional frameworks, and being responsible for the Indian sector, we tailor specific programs, delving into the nuances of partner belonging, engagement, and success. The crux of a successful partner journey lies in a shared vision, where common aspirations pave the way for collective achievements. Introducing SOTI, our current standing is a testament to a remarkable 30-year journey. Our commitment to excellence is evident in the numerous accolades, including a five-star rating for our MDM solution across Windows, iOS, Linux, and more. SOTI caters to a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from BFSI to smart cities and healthcare, supporting devices on all major operating systems. As India stands at the threshold of technological adoption across various verticals, including the imminent 5G revolution, our focus on healthcare, mission-critical devices, and supply chain logistics is unwavering. The future promises a dynamic landscape where SOTI will continue to be at the forefront, driving innovation and excellence in the ever-evolving realm of technology.”

Dr. Pankaj Dikshit, CTO, Government e-Marketplace 

“We are an e-marketplace that connects businesses with the government buyer. We have more than a lakh government buyer which procures goods and services from more than two million sellers. GMV that we have for the last two-three years has grown exponentially. Last year we did more than two lakh crore GMV which is nearly two billion dollars and this year we have crossed it and the target is three lakh crores. We are there to enable businesses and the government to come to the electronic marketplace, the motto being inclusivity, transparency and efficiency.”