Unlocking the key to designing a Channel-friendly Policy

Channel-friendly policies are critical in driving corporate business in India, particularly because the Indian market thrives on collaboration and long-term relationships. For any company aiming to scale its operations and deepen its market penetration, a well-structured and transparent channel strategy is indispensable.

In a vast and a diverse market like India, channel-friendly policies are pivotal to corporate growth. The country's expansive geography makes it impractical to maintain a direct sales presence everywhere, which is where robust channel partnerships become essential. They extend a company’s reach, enabling businesses to penetrate regional markets efficiently.

Partners can help an organization reach new markets and customer segments that might be difficult to access independently. Organizations can leverage the resources, expertise, and networks of their partners, enhancing overall capabilities without the need for significant investment. Working with partners can also foster innovation through shared knowledge and resources, leading to the development of new products or services. 
Ensuring clear and transparent communication with partners involves several key strategies. Sanjay Sehgal, Director & COO, TP-Link India explains how this can be done. “For instance, clearly define the partner's goals and expectations from the outset. This includes roles, responsibilities, and key performance indicators (KPIs),” says. “Also it is important to schedule regular check-ins or meetings to discuss progress, address concerns, and share updates. This keeps everyone aligned and informed. Offer training sessions and resources to ensure partners understand the products, services, and systems they will be working with. Implement systems for partners to provide feedback on their experience, which can help identify areas for improvement and foster a collaborative atmosphere. Share information about strategic decisions that may affect partners, fostering trust and understanding. Lastly, acknowledge and celebrate milestones and achievements, reinforcing the partnership's value and keeping motivation high.” 
 
EMPOWERING PARTNERS TO UNLOCK NEW REVENUE STREAMS

Lenovo’s channel policies, through the Lenovo 360 Global Channel Framework, emphasize tailored learning paths, certifications, and support like Lenovo TruScale, empowering partners to leverage big data and AI to unlock new revenue streams. 
“Our five tailored journeys—MSPs, GSIs, AI, Data Management, and Education—serve as focused pathways, allowing partners to access key market segments with ease. This flexibility within Lenovo 360 ensures that partners can maximize their potential across diverse sectors, bolstering growth and innovation,” states Amit Luthra – Managing Director, Lenovo ISG, India. “Additionally, a customer-first mindset is key, encouraging deep client relationships while enabling partners to deliver innovative solutions. Continuous training and certifications ensure that our partners remain competitive. Open communication and feedback mechanisms also foster trust, ensuring that partners feel valued and heard, thus strengthening collaboration and success.”
Lenovo’s channel strategy is a cornerstone of Lenovo’s success in India, with nearly 80% of its business driven by channel partners. It operates on a co-pilot model, collaborating closely with partners to build lasting relationships and align goals for mutual success. 
“Since the launch of Lenovo 360 in 2022, we have streamlined incentive programs by 63%, issued over 39,500 certifications, and 10,000 partner-level accreditations—underscoring our deep commitment to partner growth and excellence,” says Amit. 

Praveen Sridhar 
Head of Partner Business, AWS India and South Asia

“With generative AI being a key focus area, AWS Partners are tapping into it to help customers embrace continuous reinvention with industry-specific solutions. AWS India Partners like Shellkode, Rapyder, Minfy, Noventiq etc. are making an impact across industries today. AWS is the first to launch a generative AI competency for partners.” 

FOSTERING HOLISTIC PARTNER GROWTH
With channel-first as the cornerstone of Google Cloud's strategy, Google has established Partner Advantage, which is Google Cloud's partner program. This program is structured across three tiers based on partner competencies (Premier, Partner, Member) and partner types (Sell, Service, Build). This approach enables Google to meet partners at their respective stages in their journey.
“To create a channel-friendly policy, two core tenets must be prioritized: customer success and partner growth,” says Chandra Sankholkar, Director - Partners Business, Google Cloud India. “In line with these priorities, Google Cloud’s Partner Advantage program has been developed with a focus on enabling partners to deliver exceptional customer outcomes, including with generative AI, through tools, programs, and incentives. These incentives are available across the customer lifecycle, including source, deliver, transact, and grow.
The essence of Google’s success lies in adhering to its core principles of driving customer success and fostering partner growth. “We assess this across the entire program spectrum, encompassing enablement, certifications, specializations, marketing, funding, and incentives. We consistently evaluate our success in terms of partner attach rate, which leads to incremental business growth,” says Chandra Sankholkar. 

Dhiraj Narang  
Director, Head of Partnerships- India, Snowflake

“Snowflake's channel approach focuses on continued rapid growth, incredible momentum, and innovation, positioning itself as the data platform of choice across industries, and growing a robust ecosystem of partners. We focus on building technical capabilities among partners, fostering innovation through app ecosystem development, and collaborating with resellers and cloud providers.” 

AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PARTNER COMMUNICATION 
For any successful relationship to thrive, clear and transparent communication is and should be the foundation. Inflow Technologies believes that communication has to be from both ends which will open out more ideas and better understanding. 
“Communicating openly and transparently with your partner is crucial to ensure that both parties are on the same page. We believe in establishing a clear line of communication. We have a dedicated team that meets partners regularly and shares the MoM of all that have been discussed so that the chances of miscommunication are negated,” says Rajiv Unnikrishnan, Sr. Vice President- Channel Development, Inflow Technologies.  
Most of Inflow’ incentive and reward programs are tailor-made in order to make it achievable and motivating. The programs span to organisations specific, spiff programs that are to individual sales and support the personnel in the partner organisation, partner recognition programs, referral program etc. 
“Fundamentally, before launching any partner program, our objective is to align goals with potential partner’s objectives and customer interests. Post any partner program we go back to the objective and measure the success against the same. We have experienced huge success when we are constantly monitoring the program during the execution and communicating with the partner team on that extra mile that they have to achieve to succeed in the program objective and related rewards and recognitions,” says Rajiv. 
 

Anita Kukreja  
Head – Strategic Alliances and Brand, IceWarp

“Our channel-friendly policy has been a cornerstone of our success in the Indian market. We’ve made a conscious effort to nurture long-standing relationships with our channel partners by offering them consistent support in every aspect, be it through technical training, marketing assistance, or structured incentive plans. This commitment to their growth has empowered our partners to act as key drivers of our business.”

BUILDING A STRONG, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP 
Amarish Karnik, Director - Channel Sales, Alliance & Cloud and Service Provider - India & SAARC, Veeam Software is of the opinion that channel-friendly policies are essential for establishing and maintaining strong relationships and trust between businesses. These policies facilitate relationships by tailoring marketing efforts to meet the specific needs and preferences of business clients. 
“Our commitments are centred around Customer-Centricity, Data-Driven Decision Making and Innovation and Agility. Such an approach leads to better conversion rates and business growth. Moreover, leveraging data analytics and performance tracking enables businesses to continually refine their marketing tactics in line with their goals,” explains Amarish.
Veeam’s company's channel-friendly policy has played a crucial role in the Indian market by building strong, mutually beneficial partnerships through customized support and strategic initiatives. Through collaborative discussions during onboarding, Veeam ensures its solutions are tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of the Indian market. 
Veeam has developed India-specific, workload-focused programs, such as SAP HANA and Public Cloud, to deepen our collaboration with specific partners and better address their needs. Consequently, partners are more effectively equipped to meet customer demands, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and driving business growth in this dynamic environment.
“We also focus on how to incentivize partners for both volume and value sales, as both are crucial to Veeam India & SAARC's growth journey,” opines Amarish. “While some partners provide scale, others contribute depth to our offerings.
 

Jaydeep Singh  
General Manager for India Region, Kaspersky

“At Kaspersky, we view our partners as integral extensions of our business. Our policies are crafted to empower them with comprehensive resources, training, and support to confidently help customers safeguard their digital environments with world-class cybersecurity solutions. Channel-friendly policies play a pivotal role in driving our corporate success in India.”

INVESTING IN PARTNER SUCCESS
By offering flexible, partner-centric policies, IceWarp enables its partners to act as an extension of the business, ensuring wider reach and quicker adoption of products and solutions. In essence, channel-friendly policies build trust, provide stability, and create a win-win situation for both the company and its partners, thereby accelerating growth and market share.
“A robust channel-friendly policy must incorporate several key elements,” observes Anita Kukreja, Head – Strategic Alliances and Brand, IceWarp. “First, transparency is non-negotiable—partners should have clear visibility into the company's objectives, expectations, and margins. Second, a comprehensive enablement program is essential, which includes training, marketing support, and technical assistance to empower partners to better sell and support the solutions. Third, fair and motivating incentive structures should be in place, offering competitive margins, rebates, and performance-based rewards. Lastly, ensuring flexibility in go-to-market strategies, so partners can adapt to diverse customer needs and market conditions, is crucial for long-term collaboration.”
IceWarp has been able to scale quickly, tap into new verticals, and increase its market penetration substantially. Its partners trust the brand because it invests in their success, and that has created a powerful network that drives the business forward.
Another key metric is partner retention and loyalty. IceWarp takes care of partner interests and encourages continuity with the same partner for renewals in the market. High retention rates signal that IceWarp’s programs are delivering value. 
“Additionally, we look at the number of new partners joining our ecosystem and their contributions to new customer acquisitions and market expansion,” says Anita. 

Amarish Karnik  
Director - Channel Sales, Alliance & Cloud and Service Provider - India & SAARC, Veeam Software

“Veeam's product philosophy centres around eliminating complexity, a principle we also apply to our channel strategies. By simplifying operations and channel programs, we aim to make our partners' lives easier and scalable, embodying the mantra that ease of doing business is key to success. This approach is particularly crucial in India's diverse and complex market landscape.”

FOCUSED ON A WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIP
According to Check Point, a successful channel-friendly policy should emphasize simplicity, transparency, and mutual benefit – all the key elements enveloped into the Check Point Partner Program. 
“Our key aim in designing our Partner Program was to ensure that it would be simple, easy to adopt, transparent and focused on a ‘win-win’ partnership,” says Manish Alshi, Senior Director, Channels & Alliances, India & SAARC, Check Point Software Technologies. “Prior to the launch of our Partner Growth Program in 2020, we reached out to hundreds of partners globally to seek their feedback on building a robust partner program. Taking their feedback and advice into consideration has helped us incorporate partner expectations into the construct of the program.” 
Check Point’s channel-friendly policy has been instrumental in Check Point's success in India. By fully committing to a channel-only model, it has doubled its channel team size and expanded its partner base. The consistent expansion of its partner base, which grew from the initial 250 to now over 600 active partners in the last few years, underlines its commitment to leveraging this model to reach more customers and regions. 
Check Point India’s key customer base covers both enterprises and primary segments such as BFSI, IT-ITES, government, telcos, manufacturing, services, education & other verticals. As part of its Partner Program, Check Point has also established partnerships with OEMs, ISV partners & Consultants to provide seamless 360-degree solutions and advisory services to our customers.  
 “With our growing and diverse partners across the country, Check Point India will continue to leverage this expanding community to support and help our customers to implement prevention-first solutions for their organization,” says Manish.   
 

Rodney Clark
Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Small and Medium Business, Cisco

Cisco has announced the new Cisco 360 Partner Program, which is designed to accelerate the value partners bring to customers by better addressing their rapidly evolving and complex needs— modernizing infrastructure, powering AI workloads anywhere, and keeping customers’ organizations secure, resilient, and high-performing. Developed in collaboration with partners and customers, Cisco will guide them through a 15-month transition period leading up to the program’s launch in February 2026.

“That's the foundation of the Cisco 360 Partner Program,” said Rodney Clark, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Small and Medium Business at Cisco. “Whether through lifecycle practices, technical capabilities, or managed services, partners can drive profitable growth with our new value-based program. With a 15-month transition, partners have time to prepare and maximize their potential in Cisco 360 Partner Program.”

A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL PARTNERS 
For Western Digital, channel-friendly policies are crucial in driving corporate business in India, where a large and diverse market necessitates close partnerships with local channel partners. The key elements of its channel-friendly policy include comprehensive training programs, transparent pricing strategies, and a robust support system.  
“At Western Digital, we prioritize partner education through initiatives like our TechTalk app-based training module, ensuring that partners stay updated on new products and market trends. Transparent pricing is essential for helping partners maintain healthy profit margins and stay competitive. Additionally, providing digital toolkits, marketing resources, and direct communication channels like WhatsApp Business ensures partners have the tools they need to succeed. Incentive programs, such as the SanDisk League of Heroes, further motivate partners by recognizing their achievements,” explains Khalid Wani, Senior Director, Sales – India, Western Digital.
Western Digital’s focus on training, support, and incentivization has enabled partners to navigate the dynamic digital environment, meeting evolving customer demands effectively. Programs like the SanDisk League of Heroes and digital toolkits have empowered partners to market and sell Western Digital solutions more efficiently. 
“As a result, we have been able to unlock new customer segments and drive business growth, solidifying our position as a trusted provider of storage solutions in India,” says Khalid. 
Western Digital measures the success of its partner programs by evaluating key performance indicators (KPIs) such as partner satisfaction, certification completion rates, cost savings, the quality of customer support, response times, and customer feedback. These metrics help assess the effectiveness of the programs in empowering partners, reducing the workload on internal teams, improving customer satisfaction, and contributing to the company's overall strategic goals.
 

Deb Banerji  
Senior Director Sales - Eaton Power Quality

“Eaton’s channel-friendly approach has been instrumental in driving our success in India. By tailoring our solutions to meet the unique needs of the Indian market, like single-phase and three-phase UPS systems, digital solutions, and energy transition products, we enable our partners to offer cutting-edge solutions to their customers.”

ESTABLISHING A STRONG, ENDURING PARTNERSHIP
For a diverse and competitive market like India, having transparent and supportive channel policies is essential to create a strong foundation for sustainable business development and long-term relationships. Kaspersky believes in a tailored approach for its channel partner programme, and its policy encompasses several core elements, such as - 
Open Communications: Kaspersky ensures partners are consistently updated on new developments, product updates, and strategic goals, fostering strong collaboration and trust.
Incentive Programme: Kaspersky’s competitive margins, rebates, and rewards drive partner engagement, boost profitability, and reinforce loyalty across the network.
Training & Enablement: Continuous training through the Kaspersky Partner Portal provides certifications and resources to help partners deploy its cybersecurity solutions effectively.
Dedicated Support: Kaspersky offers 24/7 technical and sales support, product upgrades, and marketing tools that enable partners to deliver world-class service.
Flexibility & Adaptability: Kaspersky’s agile policies and practices help partners respond to market changes and emerging threats, ensuring they remain competitive and sustainable.

“Our channel-friendly policy has been instrumental in establishing strong, enduring partnerships across the Indian market. Our partners have been confidently bringing our world-class cybersecurity solutions to new customers and emerging markets across India, expanding our footprint and creating a robust partner network that drives collective success and notable growth,” says Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India Region, Kaspersky. 
The success of Kaspersky’s partner programme is reflected in its ability to co-create innovative cybersecurity solutions that meet the growing demand for robust protection across sectors, solidifying Kaspersky’s position as a preferred cybersecurity partner.
 

Jitendra Ghughal 
Director Channel Management, India & SAARC - Fortinet 
 
“Our goal within India is to bolster relationships through a tiered partner system, which not only categorizes partners into four levels but also motivates persistent business development. We are committed to nurturing the advancement of our partners and plan to expand our footprint throughout the different levels of partners in the Indian market.” 

STRONG PARTNERSHIP  DRIVES THE GROWTH STRATEGY  
For a company like Eaton that operates across diverse segments including Intelligent Power Management, Data Center and Digital Solutions, strong channel partnerships are the backbone of its growth strategy. These policies ensure that partners feel valued and supported, enabling them to better serve the end customers. 
“In a market like India, where customer needs are diverse and regional variations are significant, having empowered partners can make a substantial difference in market reach and penetration. A structured channel policy mitigates legal risks and builds trust among stakeholders, ultimately driving business success,” believes Deb Banerji, Senior Director Sales - Eaton Power Quality.
Eaton believes in a four-fold approach for designing a channel program. First, transparency and open communication are essential. Open channels for feedback ensure that its policies evolve with market dynamics. Eaton’s Partner Advantage Partner Program (PAPP) is a platform where partners can access resources, seek support, and provide feedback, creating a more transparent and collaborative relationship. 
Second, incentives and support are crucial. Eaton designs incentive structures that align with its partners’ efforts and achievements, encouraging them to explore new market opportunities. 
Third, training and enablement are vital. Eaton invests in robust training programs to ensure that partners are well-equipped to understand and deploy its advanced power management solutions. 
Finally, recognition and awards play a significant role. Eaton acknowledges and rewards top-performing partners through awards and recognition programs, which boosts morale and encourages continued excellence.
“Our focus on training, support, and marketing initiatives ensures that our partners are not just distributors, but true brand ambassadors. This collaborative approach has led to significant growth in Eaton’s market share across industries such as healthcare, IT, and infrastructure,” says Deb.  

Kalyan Deep Ray  
National Channel Manager, Enterprise Sales, India & SAARC, CommScope

“At CommScope, we believe in transparent partnerships and modular approach. In practice, partnerships can be based on specific technologies and can scale to offer the full set of capabilities that CommScope has to offer. This empowers our partners to grow both vertically within technologies as well as horizontally across offerings and supports each partner’s growth pace.”

KEEPING CHANNEL POLICIES SIMPLE
Channel-friendly policies are essential for businesses like Juniper Networks to succeed in India. In India, 100% of Juniper’s business takes place through its partners. They play a key role in promoting its advanced technologies, even more so across areas like Network as a Service (NaaS). Having clear policies make it easier for partners to work with Juniper, ensuring they have the support, training, and resources they need to thrive.
“Additionally, Juniper’s focus on collaboration means we are all working toward the same goals, which is especially important in a competitive market like India. Juniper understands that when our partners succeed, we succeed too,” says Harshavardhan Kathaley, Director - Partner Sales, Juniper Networks (India and SAARC).
For Juniper Networks, its focus has been to keep the policies simple, and the partnering program modular and easy for partners to join and grow their business. These elements span across training, marketing, demand generation, incentives and rebates, pre-sales and after sales support and building loyalty for long term success. Flexibility is also vital and Juniper recognizes that each partner is unique. This also means that partners can tailor their offerings to meet their specific market needs.
“This growing market offers huge potential, and our policies help partners develop their own branded services, boost their revenues while also expanding Juniper’s presence. Our commitment to AI-driven solutions aligns perfectly with what Indian companies are looking for. By equipping partners with the right tools and training, we ensure they can effectively market and implement our innovative technologies,” says Harshavardhan.
 

Jithesh Chembil   
Head- India Channels, Pure Storage

“At Pure Storage, we are all about being a channel-centric company. Our partner ecosystem is key to delivering innovative solutions to various industries. These partnerships allow us to meet the rising demand for cloud adoption, data storage, and hybrid cloud solutions, creating a win-win situation for both us and our partners.”

A CLEAR-CUT GTM STRATEGY
For Versa Networks, having a clear cut GTM is the most important aspect of partner engagement and the company drives this through weekly, monthly & quarterly calls to ensure that it is communicating clearly to the partner. 
“We do work out the incentives for selling specific products with our top partners and it incentivizes the team which is taking the product to the market and position it with customers,” says Venkata SR Datla, Channel Sales Head – India & SAARC, Versa Networks. “The health of the partner with respect to business and technical enablement is the criteria to success of our partner program.”
 

Ashesh Thanawala
Channel Sales Director – APJ, Cloud protection & Licencing - Thales
 
“Thales’s primary route to market is with the channel, generating around 85% of its worldwide revenues via partners. Relationships are built on trust and in our business Trust is the foundation for digital transformation. We have grown with our ecosystem partners for over 2 decades with loyalty playing on both sides.” 

A STRONG, MOTIVATED PARTNER ECOSYSTEM
For Brother, a channel-friendly policy should include a few key elements. 
“First, communication is vital as partners need to be in the loop about new products, promotions, and strategic updates. Second, profitability is crucial. We want our partners to be as motivated about our products as we are, so we ensure that margins, rebates, and rewards are structured in a way that benefits them. Third, training and enablement. The more knowledgeable our partners are about our products, the better they can serve their customers. Lastly, support—whether it’s technical help, marketing resources, or co-selling initiatives, we’re always there to back them up,” explains Alok Nigam, Managing Director, Brother India.
Channel-friendly policies have played a significant role in Brother’s success. For instance, the company has set up demo centers and experience zones across key locations in India to give its partners hands-on exposure to its products. This not only helps them understand the technology better but also builds their confidence when they engage with customers.
“Additionally, our partner portal provides real-time access to product information, sales tools, and training materials, making it easier for them to stay updated. As a result, we have seen strong growth in segments like SMBs and home offices, where our partners’ support has been instrumental in driving sales and expanding our reach,” says Alok.
 

Sanjay Sehgal  
Director & COO - TP-Link India 
 
“A well-structured partner program can be a significant driver of growth and competitive advantage for an organization. A partner program can be crucial for driving business. On the other hand, collaborating with the right partners can lead to increased sales through joint marketing efforts, upselling, and cross-selling opportunities.”

PARTNERS CENTRAL TO SUCCESS OF AWS
Building a robust partner environment plays an important role in driving efficiency and boosting business growth for AWS India. Its association with partners signifies a strategic move towards fostering collaboration, enhancing resilience, and prioritising customer-focused solutions. 
“AWS Partners have always been critical and central to the success of AWS and our customers in India,” says Praveen Sridhar, Head of Partner Business, AWS India and South Asia. “We work with many local businesses through our partner program and have been building long-term relationships with partners, some of them since day one. For example, Minfy, a premier AWS Partner and cloud-native systems integrator based in India announced a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with AWS that will deepen Minfy’s use of cloud services and AI. 
Another AWS Partner, Rapyder Cloud Solutions, a leading Indian cloud consulting company, also announced a multi-year SCA with AWS to scale its cloud offerings and drive innovation using generative AI specifically tailored for customers in industries like finance, IT, healthcare, and e-commerce.”
AWS works with many local businesses through the AWS Partner Network (APN), its global partner program for technology and consulting businesses who leverage AWS to build solutions and services for AWS customers. AWS also offers an AWS Competency Program which validates and promotes AWS Partners with demonstrated AWS technical expertise and proven customer success. Attaining an AWS Competency helps partners market and differentiate their business to AWS customers by showcasing their capabilities in specialized areas across industries, use cases, and workloads.
“We have launched various partner programs and are continually expanding our partner network to support their success and help them better serve their customers. We also have the AWS ISV Accelerate Program that is designed for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who build and market software solutions on AWS. The AWS Marketplace Channel Programs also helps ISVs and Consulting Partners to expand reach, accelerate deals, optimize costs, and extend value to customers. The SaaS Factory Program provides business and technical resources to build, migrate, and optimize SaaS solutions. Additionally, the AWS Small & Medium Business Competency helps SMBs find validated partner offerings tailored to their specific needs,” cites Praveen. 
 

Vivek Malhotra  
Sr Director & General Manager, India Channels, Dell Technologies

“We launched our Partner Program with a renewed focus - Together, We Stop at Nothing. We are building upon a position of partner strength. Partners are also leveraging next-gen solutions through our collaborations with OEMs like Microsoft, VMware, Red Hat and others.”

A ROBUST SET OF POLICIES AND FRAMEWORKS 
Dhiraj Narang, Director, Head of Partnerships- India, Snowflake is of the opinion that as organizations, specifically in the technology space, look to build their partnership ecosystems, channel-friendly policies are critical to their success. As enterprises accelerate their adoption of AI, they will work closely with technology partners like Snowflake to implement solutions.  
“A robust set of policies and frameworks will enable channel partners to unlock this immense potential by delivering tailored solutions across industries like financial services, retail & CPG, manufacturing, and logistics,” says Dhiraj. “For Snowflake, these policies are integral to building a robust ecosystem that maximizes customer value. Through clear engagement strategies, incentives, training, and support, these policies help partners contribute meaningfully to enterprises' business transformation initiatives and achieve better business outcomes faster.”  
Over the past five years of our journey in India, Snowflake has built a diverse customer base across industries, such as financial services, manufacturing, retail, and consumer packaged goods (CPG). To power its growth, Snowflake has significantly invested in developing a robust Snowflake Partner Network, consisting of a broad array of cloud, services, technology, data providers, advisory firms, system integrators (SIs), and specialized resellers to scale customer outcomes.  
“Our ecosystem comprises advisory partners like Deloitte and EY, Global System Integrators like LTI Mindtree and TCS, and Regional System Integrators like Quantiphi, Lumiq, Hoonartek, and BluePi, all of whom have helped major enterprises adopt Snowflake. Moreover, Snowflake was built on public cloud infrastructure and can deliver a unified experience across multiple clouds (GCP, AWS, and MSFT) and regions. Our partnerships with companies like Nvidia further enhance our AI capabilities. These partnerships demonstrate a shared investment in the success of Snowflake's ecosystem, and contribute to its overall growth,” states Dhiraj.  
With almost half of Snowflake’s APJ ecosystem being there in India, local partners also play a crucial role in its global success.
 

Rajiv Unnikrishnan  
Sr. Vice President- Channel Development, Inflow Technologies
“In any sell through model, a partner program can be a very important means to help boost growth and market presence through collaborative efforts. Such programs can be a motivation to channel partners to achieve more and have higher mindshare for the product. We have seen huge success when we have worked out tailor-made programs that are achievable and catering to the markets concerned.” 

ENABLING OPEN DIALOGUE WITH PARTNERS 
Red Hat’s partner program is not just a business enabler but also a strategic framework that fosters innovation, expands market reach, and ensures customer satisfaction. Through collaboration with trusted partners, the company delivers enterprise solutions that are built on open-source technologies, helping both parties grow through mutual value creation. 
“We enable open dialogue with partners through our Partner Connect platform, partner newsletters, and co-marketing opportunities, which align business strategies and ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page,” says Ausim Khan, Director, Partner Ecosystem, India and South Asia - Red Hat. “Additionally, the concierge program launched by the Partner Connect platform also offers customized support, ensuring that partners stay aligned with Red Hat’s vision and messaging while driving joint go-to-market efforts.” 
Red Hat’s incentive and reward strategy focuses on empowering partners through multiple channels. The company offers Not-for-Resale (NFR) subscriptions and co-marketing incentives that allow partners to leverage Red Hat’s enterprise-grade technology without significant upfront investments. In addition, Red Hat invests in continuous learning through programs such as the Ascend Skills Network, which equips partners with the latest skills and certifications, addressing gaps in open-source expertise and ensuring that partners remain competitive in an evolving market. 
“I firmly believe in the fact that success is not merely financial but also about creating lasting value through partnerships. Red Hat tracks the development of certified solutions and the degree to which partners can independently drive innovation. The company’s emphasis on certifications ensures that partners not only meet market demands but also maintain high standards of reliability and interoperability across various environments,” contends Ausim. 

Khalid Wani  
Senior Director, Sales – India,  Western Digital

“Western Digital's channel-friendly policy has been instrumental in its success in the Indian market. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem through our "My WD" program and leveraging platforms like WhatsApp Business for direct communication, we have built strong relationships with our partners.”

OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH PARTNERS
For Sophos, partners are its strategic allies. With 24/7 support, they can easily navigate licensing and quoting, allowing them to drive sales without the hassle. Plus, with Sophos X-Ops, partners access real-time threat intelligence that empowers them to offer actionable insights to their clients. 
“From development and operations to sales, marketing, and support, the entire Sophos team is dedicated to fueling your success with the tools and knowledge you need to boost your bottom line. Together, we can thrive, especially in today’s fast-paced digital world,” opines Rajeev Gupta, Director of Channel Sales, India & SAARC, Sophos.
Sophos maintains open lines of communication at every level. Its approach involves consistent updates, structured partner meetings, and dedicated professionals who serve as the direct point of contact for any queries or feedback. It provides its partners with a detailed roadmap that outlines the company’s strategic goals, product innovations, and expectations. This is complemented by Sophos Partner Care program, which offers 24/7 support to address operational inquiries. Additionally, through its online partner portal, Sophos ensures that all necessary resources, such as training, sales tools, and marketing assets, are readily available.
“By fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration, we ensure our partners have a crystal-clear understanding of their role and the mutual objectives we aim to achieve,” observes Rajeev. “With a focus on long-term, mutual success, our rewards structure is designed to drive excellence while providing the support our partners need to succeed in an evolving cybersecurity landscape. Sophos MSPs benefit from upsell and cross-sell opportunities, along with attractive volume-based discounts. Additionally, exclusive rewards are available for partners who engage in strategic initiatives like our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services. Our focus is on mutual success, ensuring partners thrive in an evolving cybersecurity landscape.”

Harshavardhan Kathaley  
Director - Partner Sales, Juniper Networks (India and SAARC)

“Juniper Networks’ channel-friendly policies have played a major role in our success in the Indian market. The Juniper Partner Advantage (JPA) program is designed to support various partners—like distributors, resellers and service providers. In the last two years, we have also introduced the Network as a Service (NaaS) partnership as part of our JPA program.”

ALIGNED WITH PARTNERS’ BUSINESS MODEL
Fortinet has experienced significant expansion in its channel business across India, showcasing a transformative shift in its partnership dynamics. While it continues to rely on the cornerstone of traditional partners, including sellers, distributors, resellers, VARs, and VADs, Fortinet has observed a substantial rise in the role played by new age partners such as global service providers and SaaS providers.  
“Our partnership ecosystem in India is rich and varied, buoyed by an upsurge in cybersecurity needs due to the widespread adoption of remote work practices,” explains Jitendra Ghughal, Director Channel Management, India & SAARC, Fortinet. “Collaborations with both global and local cloud providers, alongside SaaS providers, have been crucial in broadening our scope and delivering customized solutions. Fortinet's channel business in India has not only flourished but also evolved with a vibrant partner ecosystem. We are dedicated to nurturing strong bonds with all our partners—both traditional and new-age—to foster collective advancement and triumph in the cybersecurity domain. 
Fortinet’s partnership strategy is centered around aligning with partners' business models—whether integrator, MSSP, or cloud—tailored to meet customer needs and strategic objectives. It is dedicated to further expanding its partner base in India. This focus underscores Fortinet’s commitment to not just increase the number of partners but to enrich the partnership experience, driving mutual success in the cybersecurity landscape. 
The company is expanding its team dedicated to partner engagement and increasing investments in additional support resources. Specialization, particularly in Unified SASE, Operational Technology is a key area of focus for partners in 2024, with significant growth opportunities expected. The other area of focus is to onboard more partners interested in maximizing revenue potential from services and technical support. Additionally, Fortinet is looking to collaborate with Managed Security Service Provider partners adopting flexible consumption models. 

Ausim Khan  
Director, Partner Ecosystem, India and South Asia - Red Hat

“Red Hat’s partner ecosystem is a blend of collaboration, continuous learning, and business alignment. Through a structured yet flexible framework, the company creates opportunities for partners to thrive, innovate, and grow alongside Red Hat. By focusing on mutual value creation and continuous enablement, we are able to build a robust ecosystem that benefits not only our partners but also the customers.”

BUILDING VALUE-DRIVEN CHANNEL RELATIONSHIPS 
At Cyble, partner programs are not just about driving sales; they are about building long-term, value-driven relationships. By monitoring these quantitative and qualitative metrics, Cyble ensures its partners are empowered, engaged, and positioned for success.
Cyble has partnered with local entities that possess deep insights into the Indian market, including its regulatory environment, cultural nuances, and specific cybersecurity needs. This expertise allows Cyble to tailor its offerings to meet local demand and navigate India's complex regulatory framework effectively. By leveraging its channel partners, Cyble has successfully reached a broader customer base, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and government agencies that were previously untapped. These partnerships allow Cyble to scale its presence across different sectors and regions more rapidly.
“Channel partners provide localized support, ensuring that customers in India receive timely assistance in their native languages,” explains Mandar Patil, SVP – Global Sales & Customer Success, Cyble. “Besides collaborating with MSSPs enables Cyble to deliver dedicated cybersecurity services tailored to the unique requirements of Indian businesses. These partnerships ensure customers receive specialized resources and support, strengthening Cyble’s position as a reliable cybersecurity provider.” 
Channel partners contribute significantly to Cyble’s revenue by selling its products and services to their extensive customer networks. These partners help Cyble generate new revenue streams while reducing the company's customer acquisition costs. By partnering with established players in the Indian market, Cyble has accelerated its market penetration and achieved faster growth than would have been possible through direct sales alone. These partnerships allow Cyble to tap into existing relationships and resources to increase its presence in key sectors. 

Rajeev Gupta  
Director of Channel Sales, India & SAARC, Sophos

“At Sophos, we view our partners as more than just an extension of our sales team; they are our strategic allies. They bring invaluable insights into local markets and customer needs. We have designed our Partner Care Program to take care of administrative tasks, so partners can focus on what really matters, i.e., growing their business and building strong client relationships.” 

PARTNERS BECOMING ENGAGED STAKEHOLDERS
 At CP PLUS, the channel-friendly policy implemented has been pivotal to its expansion and dominance in India’s complex and diverse market, leading the brand to build an extensive network of more than 30,000 partners across the country. By offering attractive margins, transparent communication, and consistent support, its policies encourage its distributors and resellers to actively promote and sell its products and solutions. 
This approach not only strengthens brand loyalty but also drives market penetration in a highly competitive space like India. Ultimately, channel-friendly policies of CP Plus empower partners to become more engaged stakeholders, boosting overall growth and profitability. 
“CP Plus has crafted a model that puts our partners at the heart of our strategy, providing them with not only financial incentives but also the tools and resources they need to succeed,” says Sanjay Gogia, President - Sales, CP PLUS. “And so, we have already established more than 50 CP PLUS Galaxy Stores in collaboration with local distributors not only in metropolitans but in the remotest corners of India, making dependable security accessible to Indians even in Port Blair in Andaman, Churu in Rajasthan, and Cochin in Kerala. Our partner network benefits from clear communication, dedicated technology shows and training programs, exclusive factory tours, and an open feedback loop, which has fostered trust and long-term partnerships.” 
This has allowed CP Plus to penetrate deeper into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, achieve greater scalability, and consistently meet regional demands, cementing its leadership in the industry. 
 

Arvind Chabra  
Director, One Channel, Lenovo

“Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built its success as the world’s largest PC company by driving the advancement of 'New IT' technologies, including client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence. As we evolve, our partners also seek support in navigating our business structure and running their operations more efficiently.” 

ELEVATING PARTNER EXPERIENCE 
For CommScope, channel-friendly policies include its collaborative approach with its partners. “We believe that a strong collaboration with our partners is the best way to bring essential solutions to the forefront of an evolving Indian market and drive towards a digitally empowered India,” says Kalyan Deep Ray, National Channel Manager, Enterprise Sales, India & SAARC, CommScope. “For instance, we equip the channel ecosystem with best-in-class technology training, robust sales enablement, and marketing support to more than 10,000 partners worldwide, including India so that together we can deliver better support and solutions to enterprises.” 
The CommScope PartnerPro Program looks to provide extensive resources and training for channel partners. These key initiatives help partners to elevate their marketing and technical expertise and build a trusted and mutually profitable relationship. CommScope’s channel-friendly approach enables partners to leverage resources including technical training and support, and marketing tools. One of the key differentiators is in CommScope’s site warranties. When its installers complete the job at the end customer's project location, the entire site has a warranty of 25 years. So, this gives peace of mind and assurance to its Indian partners and customers. 
“At the highest level, our partners service mutual customers across all technologies offered by CommScope, which is an outcome of the continuous success of CommScope’s PartnerPro Program,” says Kalyan Deep.  
 

Amit Luthra  
Managing Director, Lenovo ISG, India
 
“At Lenovo, our commitment to channel-centricity is evident through initiatives like the Partner Engage Program. This program offers tiered growth opportunities, sales incentives, and marketing support, empowering our partners to scale with us. With structured training, certifications, and deal registration, we ensure that our partners are equipped with the tools and resources to drive success.” 

BUILDING TWO DECADE OLD PARTNER RELATIONSHIP
The key elements of Thales's channel policy typically include - 

Upfront Deal Registration: A complete transparent process to protect the resellers partners interest while bringing, building and closing the deal with us.   
Partnership Development: Thales emphasizes building long-term partnerships, providing resources and support to ensure mutual growth.
Training and Certification: The company often offers training programs and certifications for channel partners to enhance their skills and knowledge about Thales products.
Marketing Support: Thales usually provides marketing materials and co-branding opportunities to help partners promote products effectively.
Incentives and Rewards: Competitive incentive structures are typically in place to reward partners for achieving sales targets and driving product adoption.
Technical Support: Ongoing technical support is often available to assist partners in addressing customer needs and troubleshooting issues.
Compliance and Ethics: Thales prioritizes compliance with local regulations and ethical business practices, ensuring that all partners adhere to high standards.

 “Thales as a "Channel company", & not a company with a channel — and there’s a lot of pride behind that statement,” cites Ashesh Thanawala, Channel Sales Director – APJ, Cloud protection & Licencing – Thales. “We have over 400 companies worldwide that have integrated their software with our products. In 2005, there was no channel in India as we were billing direct. In India alone besides setting up the channel from scratch, we are proud to have 40+ Integration application partners in our mix of gradually appointed Resellers, Vertical Focused Distributors that we developed and built trust relationships that are still strong for close to 2 decades.”

Chandra Sankholkar  
Director - Partners Business - Google Cloud India
 
“Google has always been a partner-first organization. This year we doubled down on building the full AI life-cycle partner, to guide how AI can potentially solve business challenges for customers. Our partners are helping customers build a new way forward with purpose-built AI-infused Google Cloud solutions, including helping close the digital divide.” 

A STRENGTHENED BOND BETWEEN PARTNERS & LENOVO
Partner programs are vital for driving business growth, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that benefits both the organization and its partners. Within the Lenovo 360 framework, the Lenovo Partner Hub (LPH) allows partners to create proposals, track progress, and access training and support resources. It offers time-saving tools and customizable content, such as email series, social media assets, and downloadable materials. Lenovo has also simplified bid responses through tools like the Lenovo Bid Platform (LBP), which significantly accelerates response times. 
“Our strategic framework, built on the pillars of Enable, Connect, and Grow, strengthens the bond between us and our partners,” says Arvind Chabar, Director, One Channel, Lenovo. “This is achieved through global and local advisory meetings, regular updates, the L360 Circle community, and direct engagements, enabling partners to stay aligned with our strategic priorities and direction. Our incentive and reward structure is tiered to recognize and reward high performance.” 
Partners can seamlessly monitor their progress and achievements through the Lenovo 360 Engage feature within the Partner Hub. It provides intuitive dashboards for tracking three critical areas: Competencies, Status, and Incentives. By enhancing partners' capabilities, Lenovo 360 helps them become trusted advisors, proposing quick, cost-efficient, and effective solutions.

Sanjeev Mehtani
Chief Sales Officer - Acer India

“A partner program is vital for driving business growth and ensuring long-term success. By forging strategic alliances, organizations can expand into new markets, extend their reach, and provide more comprehensive solutions to their customers. These programs strengthen distribution channels, improve customer accessibility, and leverage the unique skills and local expertise of partners.”

DELIVERING EFFECTIVE SECURITY SOLUTIONS TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS  
For Trend Micro, channel program is a key driver of success, directly contributing to both business expansion and enhanced customer security. By collaborating with partners, Trend Micro is able to extend its market reach while delivering more comprehensive and effective security solutions to its customers. 
“The importance of these partnerships lies in their ability to align business goals and create shared value,” says Himanshu Kumar Gupta, Sr. Director - Government Business & Channels, India & SAARC, Trend Micro. “Our partner program is designed with structured communication channels to clearly define expectations and responsibilities from the outset. We provide partners with access to comprehensive resources and personalized technical guidance through Trend Campus, equipping them with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive. Additionally, we emphasize continuous engagement through regular updates, ensuring that partners are kept informed of program developments, product updates, and market trends.”
Trend Micro’ incentive and reward policy is thoughtfully designed to acknowledge and celebrate the significant contributions of its partners through a range of comprehensive programs. Among these are the Partner Competencies and Partner Ninja Program, both of which are aimed at promoting and recognizing excellence within the partner ecosystem. Recognition events, such as Trend Micro Partner Day, provide a platform to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of top-performing partners. This recognition not only motivates the partner community but also reinforces the commitment and excellence that drive success within the program.

Himanshu Kumar Gupta  
Sr. Director - Government Business & Channels, India & SAARC,  Trend Micro
 
 “A well-designed partner program unlocks access to new markets by leveraging the expertise and local insights of partners. Additionally, it fosters innovation by promoting collaboration on solutions that address evolving cybersecurity challenges. Trend Micro prioritizes clear and transparent communication with our partners to ensure mutual success and alignment.” 

BUILDING TRUST AND COMPETENCY ON SHARED GOALS
Acer’s partner program is founded on the values of equipping partners with the tools and support they need to fuel joint success and deliver exceptional customer experiences. It prioritizes clear and transparent communication with its partners to build trust and align on shared goals. 
“To achieve this, we establish regular communication channels, including scheduled meetings, training sessions, and performance reviews, where we openly discuss expectations and provide feedback,” says Sanjeev Mehtani, Chief Sales Officer, Acer India. “Additionally, our open-door policy encourages partners to reach out with any questions or concerns, fostering a collaborative environment. By emphasizing transparency and clarity, we ensure that our partnerships remain strong, productive, and focused on mutual success.
The goal is to create a win-win partnership where partners feel valued and encouraged, driving their success in parallel with the growth of its business. Additionally, Acer tracks partner satisfaction through feedback and engagement levels, ensuring they are well-supported and motivated to meet mutual goals. 

Manish Alshi  
Senior Director, Channels & Alliances, India & SAARC, Check Point Software Technologies

“Channel-friendly policies are absolutely critical to driving corporate business in India, especially for a 100% channel-led organization like Check Point Software. Regardless of the specific route, partner ecosystem is the backbone of our business, and by adopting channel-only routes, we ensure that all our sales and services are delivered through partners.”

DOING BUSINESS THE NEW WAY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Ingram Micro has taken some key initiatives that have helped the company strengthen the partner ecosystem and help its partners stay ahead of the stiff competition. Minakshi Samant, Executive Director and Head of Sales, Ingram Micro India highlights some of these initiatives -
•    “One-stop destination for digital transformation initiatives: Though different organizations are at different stages of their transformation journey, we ensure that our partners are empowered with the right set of digital technologies and solutions that can help them cater to the distinct requirements of their customers, be it enterprise-grade or SMB. We have also started SMB TechTalks – a series of multi-city events that focus entirely on the digital empowerment of SMBs by bringing together multiple stakeholders of the IT landscape on one platform.
•    Personalized Digital Interactions and Transactions: The new digital age of doing business calls for a new way to interact and transact, and that’s why we have launched Ingram Micro Xvantage in India. It’s an intelligent, self-learning digital experiential platform that provides personalized and intuitive experience to our partners, vendors and associates.
•    More focus on Solutions and Value-Added Services: As businesses nowadays focus on solutions that can help them solve their pain points, it’s time for any technology distribution company to think beyond product selling. We have come up with a wide range of services, including Professional Services, Cloud Services, Managed IT Services, and IT Asset Disposition and Lifecycle Management Services. Besides these, we also offer verticalized solutions for businesses in healthcare and hospitality.
•    Comprehensive Training Programs: While we understand that partners take multiple necessary actions to ensure the same, we also offer comprehensive training programs for our partners so that they are rightly informed about how they can leverage the true potential of emerging technologies, such as AI, ML, cybersecurity, etc.”

Minakshi Samant
Executive Director and Head of Sales, Ingram Micro India

“The digital age is very dynamic and quite evolutionary in nature. We need a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to reinforce the channel partner ecosystem in the digital age, and this relies heavily on how you blend the strategies around facilitating digital empowerment, offering a comprehensive range of solutions and services, enhancing digital skills and adeptness.” 

MAINTAINING A 360-DEGREE COMMUNICATION WITH PARTNERS
Sify Technologies believes that transparent communication is the bedrock for building trust which is critical for channel partner participation. “At the start of the year, our partners know what accounts they can work on, what commissions and rebates they can earn, what trainings they need to complete and the revenue objectives that need to be met,” explains Rajat Gossain, Head of Channel Business, Sify Technologies. “To streamline execution, we have a 360-degree communication which clarifies at the SLA level which parts of the service provisioning should belong to whom. Another important aspect is removal of multi-tier communication as any message routed through multi-levels incorporates delay, loses impact and leads to a disjointed relationship.
Sify's Commission and Incentive Policy is best in class as per the industry standards. It offers a multi-tier commission policy to its partners, where they have an opportunity to build their earnings at every step of Customer engagement i.e. New business acquisition, commissioning of projects, Up-sell & cross-sell, payment collections, renewal and expansion of Sify portfolio services.
It is also critical for Sify to ensure that its learning and development initiatives are helping the partners sell across the unassailable trinity of Sify products and services - Datacenters, Networks and Cloud.

Rajat Gossain  
Head of Channel Business, Sify Technologies

“A well-structured partner program is a catalyst for partner growth and profitability. Any organisation planning to expand its geographical reach and vertical tier-market coverage, needs to have a strong partner program. This brings transparency in engagement, builds strong governance models, includes effective training & enablement and lucrative commissions, rebates & SPIFs.” 

PROFITABILITY DRIVEN PARTNER POLICIES
While profitability is the end goal of all partners for any business line, in order to get there, it's incumbent upon the OEMs to ensure that the partner resources are extremely well trained and have hands-on experience on our technology. Trellix invests regularly towards these sessions to foster a regular technical and sales cadence, during which the teams get to know the expectations, rules of engagements, escalation process, incentive structure, and more.
“Trellix’s policies are published, communicated and adhered to in letter and spirit by our teams,” says Ganesh Iyer, Managing Director, India and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Trellix. “Our policy is built around ensuring partner and distributor profitability, aside from the incentive structure, to reward the front end team of partners and distributors. We also keep field teams engaged with contests, multipliers, and top performer rewards.”
Trellix has an internal measure on the percentage of its total inbound direct response led deals. It also keeps measuring the program efficacy by taking regular feedback from the partner business owners to ensure it is mapping programs to their interest in building this business.

Ganesh Iyer  
Managing Director, India and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Trellix

“Partner programs are the lifeblood to growth for any organization, irrespective of the size and segment. These programs foster a high sense of ownership, loyalty and the commitment to business from either end. When there's a well thought out program in place it ensures that everyone involved has an equitable return in the long term.” 

DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN PARTNER REVENUE
SAS empowers partners with best-in-class resources through a dedicated partner portal which encompasses technology and industry enablement content for driving high-impact marketing programs. By providing partners with the necessary training, resources, and business opportunities, SAS has seen double-digit growth in partner-related revenue.
“The satisfaction of partners within our program has increased steadily over the last four years, proving the effectiveness of these policies,” observes Manish Nair, Head of Alliances and Channels, SAS. “SAS’s comprehensive support across the entire lifecycle—from recruitment to governance—has empowered our partners to not only meet but exceed customer expectations.”
The success of SAS’s partner programs is measured through a mix of revenue growth, partner satisfaction, and the achievement of performance objectives. A key indicator is the increase in partner-driven revenue, which reflects the program's positive impact on market expansion and business outcomes. Success is also measured by how well joint business plans and goals are met, ensuring that both SAS and its partners are aligned on objectives.

Manish Nair  
Head of Alliances and Channels, SAS

“By creating an environment that fosters collaboration, transparency, and shared success, SAS ensures that its partners can better serve customers and address market needs effectively. These policies allow for seamless integration of partner capabilities, enabling them to create innovative solutions, penetrate new markets, and ensure customer satisfaction—all of which contribute to SAS’s growth in India.”

ENHANCING PARTNER GROWTH THROUGH ENABLEMENT
A channel-friendly policy, in the view of Palo Alto Networks, must include key elements such as partner profitability, predictability, and clear growth opportunities. That's why, the company has made significant upgrades to its NextWave Partner Program, enhancing partner profitability through backend rebates and seller incentives.
“These initiatives are designed to reward partners of all sizes for their expertise and ability to drive value with our cybersecurity solutions,” says Krithiwas Neelakantan, Channels & Alliances Leader, Palo Alto Networks. “We have expanded our rebate offerings to nearly 40 for solution providers and MSSP partners, including ‘Expertise’ rebates for closing deals and "Opportunity" rebates for providing additional value. These enhancements to our partner programs have directly contributed to our success in the Indian market, strengthening our channel strategy.”
Palo Alto Networks measures the success of these initiatives not just through the volume of sales but also the level of engagement, partner satisfaction, and the sustainable growth they enable within the partner ecosystem. By offering a range of rebates and incentives, including those for expertise and opportunity, Palo Alto Networks focuses on rewarding partners for their efforts in driving sales and providing value-added services.

Krithiwas Neelakantan  
Channels & Alliances Leader, Palo Alto Networks

“At Palo Alto Networks, we understand the importance of enabling our partners to thrive, which is why we offer one of the most extensive and integrated security portfolios in the industry. Our platform delivers visibility, flexibility, and automation, providing end-to-end protection from the endpoint to the network and into the cloud.”

EQUIPPING PARTNERS WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS & RESOURCES
In India, where local expertise and strong customer relationships are key to business success, Zoom’s approach ensures that partners can confidently take its offerings to market. This drives increased pipeline generation, channel-driven revenue, and customer satisfaction, helping businesses achieve their digital transformation goals through seamless collaboration.
“At Zoom, we believe in equipping our partners with the right tools, resources, and incentives to help them succeed while streamlining processes like onboarding, deal registration, and quoting,” reiterates Vishal Amin, Channel Head, India & SAARC Region, Zoom Video Communications. “By investing in these areas, we enable partners to unlock new revenue streams while delivering greater value to our customers. Programs like the Zoom Up Partner Program offer enhanced rewards, such as deal registration kickers and practice-level rebates, ensuring partners are rewarded for their investments.”
Zoom is continuously expanding its partner and customer base by onboarding notable partners in India such as Rahi Systems, Tata Teleservices, Savex Technologies, TechUnited Solutions, and Inflow Technologies for the SAARC region. The Zoom Up program further incentivizes partners with rewards such as deal registration kickers and practice-level rebates. By aligning its policies with the needs of the Indian market and investing in the partner ecosystem, the brand creates opportunities for both Zoom and its partners to thrive together, contributing significantly to Zoom's growth in India.
WRITING A CHANNEL-CENTRIC SUCCESS STORY
For a channel-friendly policy to really shine, it needs to be built on a few essential elements: strong incentive programs, comprehensive support systems, and open lines of communication. Pure Storage makes sure its partners feel appreciated through initiatives like the Pure WaveMakers program, which celebrates those excelling in solution selling and customer engagement.
“We provide easy access to our Partner Portal, which is a treasure trove of resources—think sales tools, technical training, marketing materials, and digital assets—all designed to help our partners grow,” explains Jithesh Chembil, Head- India Channels, Pure Storage. “Our success in the Indian market is deeply rooted in our channel-centric approach. By consolidating our Global Partner Program—which includes Reseller Partners, Managed Service Providers and Global System Integrators, we have been able to tap into our partnersʼ unique strengths more effectively.”
Working closely with MSPs, for example, has enabled Pure Storage to deliver tailored solutions that meet specific customer needs, and this collaboration has helped the company to extend its reach into regions that were previously underserved.

Vishal Amin  
Channel Head, India & SAARC Region, Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

“At Zoom, we recognize that partners are an essential extension of our business. Our partner-first mindset is the foundation of our channel expansion strategy, enabling us to enhance the collective strength of our partners as we go to market with solutions, such as Zoom Workplace, our AI-first work platform with Zoom AI Companion.”  

LEVERAGING THE AS-A-SERVICE TREND
Dell Technologies is investing heavily in customer and market research for not just additional technology and features that customers want, but also identifying new and emerging ways that are used to consume technology. As-a-service is an emerging trend across the board and Dell has introduced APEX as a new offering.
“We are seeing a lot of our partners already showing interest in APEX solutions and are including it in their portfolio of offerings to their customers,” says Vivek Malhotra, Sr Director & General Manager, India Channels, Dell Technologies. “Going forward, Apex consumption offers will be eligible for back-end incentives, including base rebates, new business incentives, repetitive takeout, etc. This marks a significant step in further aligning Apex with Dell's overall strategy.”
A unique feature of the Apex consumption offers is an up-front incentive in addition to the back-end incentives, making it a highly profitable opportunity for partners. With this structure, Apex is easier to understand and integrate into Dell's overall program.

Alok Nigam  
Managing Director, Brother India

“Brother India sees its channel partners as a direct extension of the business. They help us bridge the gap between our products and customers, and their local expertise and customer relationships are invaluable. With strong, supportive policies in place, our partners are able to deliver exceptional value to customers, which in turn helps us gain a stronger foothold in the market.”

Mandar Patil  
SVP – Global Sales & Customer Success, Cyble

“Cyble’s success in the Indian market is a testament to its channel-friendly policy, which has enabled the company to build strong relationships with local distributors, resellers, and managed security service providers (MSSPs). By capitalizing on these partnerships, Cyble has effectively expanded its reach, improved customer support, and accelerated growth in the highly competitive Indian cybersecurity landscape.”

Sanjay Gogia  
President - Sales, CP PLUS

“At CP PLUS, we believe the true success of our Partner Program lies not only in the financial numbers but in the growth stories of our partners. By focusing on delivering value through education and support, we have transformed the lives of thousands of system integrators and technicians, helping them elevate their skills and businesses.”

Venkata SR Datla  
Channel Sales Head – India & SAARC, 
Versa Networks

“Partner is an extension of Versa in going into the market and is key to the growth and success in the market. Having a good partner program ensures that partners are having enough certified resources and also gives them the direction in which we want to grow and help them with clarity on GTM.”