Digital Terminal hosted DT Channel Connect 2026 – Mumbai Edition on October 23 at Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, bringing together technology brands, distributors, resellers and channel partners to explore emerging business opportunities and the evolving technology landscape.
One of the key highlights of the event was a fireside chat titled “Unlocking the Next Wave of Growth and Business Opportunities in Growing AI Workloads.” For this exclusive session, DT brought together key voices from the technology and distribution ecosystem to explore how growing AI workloads are creating new opportunities for OEMs, distributors, resellers and solution providers.
Moderated by Rajeev Ranjan, Publisher & Editor, Digital Terminal, the discussion featured Aashish Sawant, National Sales Manager – Volume & Distribution Business, AMD; Kalpesh Chande, Director – Strategic Sales, Lenovo India; and Biren Yadav, CEO & MD, Bluecom Infotech.
The conversation explored how AI is reshaping computing requirements, creating new opportunities across AI PCs and enterprise infrastructure, and changing the role of channel partners in helping businesses adopt emerging technologies.
AI Workloads to Drive the Next Phase of Computing Growth
AI is expanding beyond specialised applications into everyday computing, enterprise infrastructure and smaller business environments. Aashish Sawant, National Sales Manager – Volume & Distribution Business, AMD outlined three major transitions shaping this evolution: the rise of AI PCs, the growing adoption of AI across enterprises, and the democratisation of AI among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), educational institutions and individual users.
Highlighting how these developments will reshape computing in India, Aashish said, “AI is now more than a conversation. It has just started to become about business outcomes. In India, I believe we will see three major transitions. The first will be the enhancement of PCs, with AI PCs establishing a new platform for professionals and business users. Whether it is content creation, modelling or collaboration, these capabilities will increasingly become part of everyday computing. The second transition will be enterprises moving towards AI, virtualisation and more computing-intensive data centre environments. The third, which is equally important, is the democratisation of AI. It will not remain limited to large enterprises but will also reach SMBs, educational institutions and individual users.”
Aashish added that this transition presents a significant opportunity for AMD’s channel partners to move beyond conventional hardware selling and help customers understand the business value of emerging technologies.
“For our partners, the biggest opportunity comes from positioning AI technology with customers and moving away from the mindset of selling next-generation hardware. They should educate customers on how AI can benefit their businesses and help them identify the right solutions for their requirements. With our Ryzen AI, Ryzen PRO and EPYC server portfolios, there are opportunities across client computing and data centre environments. Partners who understand these applications and communicate their value effectively will be better positioned to build new business,” Aashish added.
Lenovo Urges Partners to Become Trusted Technology Advisers
AI PCs and enterprise AI infrastructure are set to transform how organisations work, create value and make technology investments. Kalpesh Chande, Director – Strategic Sales, Lenovo India outlined Lenovo’s perspective on this shift, emphasising the importance of viewing AI as a broader business transformation rather than simply another product category.
Explaining the three layers of this transformation, Kalpesh said, “I believe we are going to see a major shift in business computing, similar to what we witnessed with the internet and cloud. Over the next few years, AI PCs will transform the way people work, create value and adapt to new technology. This transformation will happen across three layers: AI PCs for employees, AI infrastructure for enterprises, and hybrid AI environments that combine cloud capabilities with on-site PC computing. For Lenovo, the opportunity is to look much beyond device selling and become a strategic technology partner for customers.”
Kalpesh emphasised that channel partners must understand customer requirements, demonstrate practical applications and establish long-term relationships rather than concentrating only on product specifications and pricing.
“The partners need to come out of the mindset of product sellers. We need to become trusted technology advisers to our customers. Those box-selling days are gone. Partners should understand the business challenges customers face and identify opportunities around AI PCs, infrastructure upgrades, security and end-to-end solutions. Today, AI is such a big buzzword that you do not need to sell AI as a buzzword. You need to show practical use cases to customers—how employee productivity can improve, how responses can become faster and where employees can save time. That is how customer interest will develop and meaningful business conversations will begin,” he said.
Kalpesh also stressed the importance of continuous learning as the pace of technological change accelerates. He encouraged partners to participate in training programmes conducted by technology companies and distributors so their sales teams remain prepared to explain and sell the latest solutions.
Bluecom Infotech Highlights Market Opportunities Amid Pricing Challenges
The expansion of AI is creating significant opportunities for the IT industry, but it also raises broader questions about its impact and the challenges businesses must navigate. Biren Yadav, CEO & MD, Bluecom Infotech highlighted both the disruptive potential of AI and the resilience of the distribution ecosystem amid unprecedented price increases.
Reflecting on the wider implications of AI and the opportunities emerging in the channel business, Biren said, “My take on AI is that it is here to disrupt humanity. If we do not handle it properly, it can also be very dangerous. I am looking at it from a much larger perspective, beyond technology and our industry alone. Having said that, whenever these kinds of challenges arise, there are a lot of opportunities as well. Despite the unprecedented price increases we have seen in our industry, Bluecom registered its highest-ever quarter in the history of its distribution business. That demonstrates the immense opportunity available in the market and the important role channel partners continue to play.”
Biren explained that distributors can help absorb sudden pricing shocks and facilitate a smoother transition for channel partners and end customers. By managing inventory and balancing price differences across procurement cycles, distributors can help the market adjust to changing costs.
“When prices increase suddenly, it takes time for the market to accept the new pricing. This is where distribution plays an important role. If we purchased material two months ago at one price and the current price is significantly higher, we try to average the pricing and create a smoother transition for the market. We have always tried to ensure, with honesty, that price transitions happen as smoothly as possible. Our distribution layer acts as a cushion, absorbing price shocks and releasing them gradually to the end customer. We consider this an important responsibility,” he explained.
Despite these challenges, he urged partners to focus on the business potential emerging from AI adoption and take a proactive approach to market opportunities.
“There is an immense opportunity that we are sitting on. We should all come forward and capitalise on it. This is the time to focus on business, understand the opportunities emerging around AI and build our businesses further. The channel has a very important role to play in helping the market move through this transition,” he added.
AMD Emphasises Performance, Energy Efficiency and Solutions-Led Selling
Performance and energy efficiency remain important priorities in AMD’s technology development, supported by a broad portfolio spanning client computing and data centre solutions. Ashish Sawant underlined that innovation must be complemented by a strong partner ecosystem to translate technological advancements into business growth.
Sharing insights into AMD’s technology roadmap and its role in supporting partners, Aashish highlighted performance and energy efficiency as key innovation priorities. “The most important things we innovate on are performance and energy efficiency, and we ensure that we bring multiple options to customers. Our portfolio spans Ryzen, Ryzen PRO, AI PCs, workstations and EPYC server solutions for data centre environments. However, technology alone does not grow the market. We need to build an ecosystem around it, and that is where our OEM partners, business partners and distribution partners play a very important role,” said Aashish.
He urged channel partners, system integrators and solution providers to reassess how they position technology offerings, particularly as customers increasingly look for measurable business outcomes.
“I would again urge all partners who are in the computing, solutioning and SI businesses to go back to the drawing board when positioning solutions for their customers. Let us not just sell products. Let us sell solutions. Let us sell AI solutions to them. Customers will analyse how they can run their businesses more efficiently and improve productivity. They will invest in AI projects to achieve those outcomes, which creates opportunities for the channel. Even when prices are high, the need for computing and AI capabilities will continue to generate demand,” he added.
Partners Encouraged to Build Expertise in Focused Industry Verticals
As AI applications continue to expand, developing specialised industry knowledge can help channel partners identify relevant opportunities and deliver more targeted solutions. Kalpesh Chande reiterated that understanding customer challenges and demonstrating measurable business value are essential to building trust and long-term relationships.
“The key here is to solve business problems. When you understand the technology and the challenges your customers face, you can identify opportunities around AI PCs, infrastructure upgrades, security and end-to-end solutions. You need to understand how the technology will improve productivity, help employees save time and make business processes more efficient. You also need to build long-term trust with customers and create lasting value. The industry is moving very fast, so our sales teams must be ready to sell new technology and keep learning,” said Kalpesh.
Biren Yadav advised partners to avoid spreading their efforts across too many emerging AI applications at once. Instead, he recommended focusing on industry verticals where they already have experience, established customer relationships or a strong understanding of business requirements.
Offering a practical approach to building AI capabilities, Biren said, “There are so many things developing in AI at the same time that keeping up with everything will be very difficult. My advice to partners and business owners is to identify one or two verticals that they are comfortable with or where they already have a strong customer base. Follow the AI-related developments and initiatives happening in those verticals, build expertise in-house and develop a clear understanding of the solutions that can address those customers’ needs. That will give partners direction and help them identify practical business opportunities.”
See Glimpses of The Event:https://photos.app.goo.gl/BhSWH2wPF6D9tNXi8
Watch the Complete Event: https://www.youtube.com/live/_YOFz7KWJ7A
The speakers collectively stressed that continuous training, a solutions-led approach and the ability to demonstrate real business value will help channel partners remain competitive as AI adoption expands across industries.
The fireside chat at DT Channel Connect 2026 – Mumbai Edition highlighted how AI is creating new opportunities across computing, enterprise infrastructure and IT distribution. Leaders from AMD, Lenovo India and Bluecom Infotech emphasised the importance of technology adoption, customer education and specialised expertise in helping channel partners navigate emerging challenges and unlock new business opportunities.
As AI adoption accelerates, channel partners will need to move beyond traditional product sales and focus on delivering solutions that address real business needs. Through industry collaboration, continuous learning and a solutions-led approach, partners can strengthen customer relationships and drive sustainable growth. The discussion reinforced Digital Terminal’s commitment to connecting the IT channel ecosystem and exploring new pathways for business growth in India’s evolving technology landscape.
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