Channel partners in India would have to come under one umbrella and work as one industry in order to develop a large manufacturing base in the country. That was the message that was emphasized on at the inaugural day of COM-IT Expo 2010.
The umbrella will enable policy decisions at a macro level, create demand at national level, handle supplies and unite the channel as one. “I would like to be a part of this process,” said Alok Bharadwaj, Senior Vice President, Canon India.
Partners will also have to adjust to the shift in the value chain. “They will have to move onto solutions and consultancy from hardware reselling. Many partners are also expanding to multiple countries. Develop a long term 20:20 vision. Enter new domains, deep dive into technologies and acquire new competencies to build a competitive advantage over years,” Bharadwaj advised.
“In the past two to three years, there has been a change in the channels. More Indian partners are going international and vendors hope this trend continues,” said Sunil Kripalani, Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, eScan.
Convergence will play a key role in the future, said Mukesh Gupta, Director, TPV Technology Group and the head of TPV operations for India. “The consumer electronics channel and IT are merging with telecom with telcos entering the IT and consumer markets. Customers also will go to a one point contact for all needs since products will be common to all three channels. We need to adapt to this future,” he said.
Sunil Dutt, President, Personal Systems Group, HP India, said, “We are on the brink of a new era. Right now the PC adoption is at 4 percent and is already a $6 billion industry. Imagine if this reaches 20 percent. COM-IT needs to focus on the future and associations like TAIT should use this opportunity to learn what is relevant to the young Indian and make a difference in their lives. Channels need to connect the length and breadth of the country with information such as healthcare data. COM-IT should help channels improve their business further and provide financing options for customers.”