Western Digital continues to play a critical role in supporting India’s rapidly expanding digital and surveillance infrastructure. With the increasing adoption of AI-led surveillance, smart city initiatives, and large-scale public safety projects, reliable and purpose-built storage has become a strategic requirement.
In this conversation, Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal, speaks with Owais Mohammed, Director of Sales – MEA & India, Western Digital, on evolving surveillance storage demands, AI-driven workloads, infrastructure priorities, and the role of partners in enabling scalable and cost-efficient video surveillance ecosystems across India.
Rajeev: How do you see the response Western Digital has received at IFSEC 2025?
Owais: Platforms like IFSEC give us a valuable opportunity to interact closely with our partners and engage with stakeholders across the surveillance ecosystem. We get to understand the latest technology trends, hear directly about partner challenges, and also interact with government representatives who share insights into upcoming initiatives. Overall, it has been a very enriching experience for us.
Rajeev: How are AI-driven traffic management systems and modern city surveillance networks influencing the volume and complexity of video data being generated across India?
Owais: The WD Purple Pro drives are designed specifically to address this shift. Our highest capacity drive currently at 26TB enables recording of up to 32 AI streams simultaneously. These drives are fully compatible with AI-enabled NVRs and DVRs, making them ready for modern surveillance environments. We are well aligned with the evolving technology requirements in this space.
Rajeev: Why has surveillance-grade storage become strategic infrastructure today, and how does Western Digital ensure zero frame loss and long-term data retention in high-demand environments?
Owais: Western Digital offers patented AllFrame technology, which is specifically designed for surveillance and forensic requirements. Today, it is not enough to merely record data. Customers require high-quality, high-resolution footage that can be retrieved reliably during investigations or forensic analysis.
AllFrame technology ensures zero frame loss, which is one of the key differentiators of our surveillance drives. This technology is one of the unique selling points that we are highlighting at IFSEC.
Rajeev: What key factors should organizations consider while building scalable and cost-efficient 24x7 video surveillance architectures?
Owais: The most important factor is selecting the right drive for the right environment. For basic surveillance requirements, WD Purple drives are suitable. For more demanding workloads, WD Purple Pro drives are recommended. For very large-scale surveillance projects, such as city-wide or national infrastructure deployments, our Ultrastar drives are ideal.
We offer a broad portfolio of drives designed for specific use cases, ensuring that customers can scale efficiently without compromising performance or reliability.
Rajeev: Which verticals are currently driving the highest demand for Western Digital storage solutions?
Owais: Smart cities are one of the largest verticals, driven by government initiatives across India. These projects require extensive surveillance infrastructure, resulting in significant demand for our drives. Another major area is road and transportation infrastructure, where surveillance is critical for monitoring and safety. Additionally, the rapid digitization of data across sectors continues to fuel demand for reliable storage solutions. These are currently the most prominent growth drivers.
Rajeev: How do you see surveillance storage trends evolving in India in 2026, especially with AI already playing a central role?
Owais: India presents a massive opportunity for the surveillance and storage industry. Given the scale of the country and the number of government-led initiatives in smart cities, road networks, railways, and public safety, the growth potential is substantial.
The surveillance market in India is currently valued at approximately USD 4 to 4.5 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 to 15%. Some estimates even suggest higher growth rates. From our perspective, sustained double-digit growth is inevitable, making this a very promising market.
Rajeev: How are WD Purple and WD Purple Pro drives designed to support next-generation AI-enabled surveillance systems, especially for CIOs and CTOs evaluating infrastructure decisions?
Owais: Our drives are purpose-built for surveillance environments. We have already discussed AllFrame technology, which ensures zero frame loss. Additionally, our patented ArmorCache technology protects data during power fluctuations, preventing data loss while information is being written.
These technologies combined make our drives best-in-class for demanding surveillance workloads, especially in AI-driven environments.
Rajeev: From your interactions with CIOs and CTOs, what is the biggest pain point they face when it comes to storage?
Owais: The primary concern is total cost of ownership, particularly cost per gigabyte. At Western Digital, we continuously work on improving storage density and efficiency so customers receive greater value for their investment. Managing TCO effectively remains a key priority for enterprise buyers.
Rajeev: In today’s AI-driven environment, do you believe technology budgets, especially for CIOs and CTOs, need to increase to meet government and enterprise digital ambitions?
Owais: If organizations are serious about executing large-scale AI and digital transformation initiatives aligned with government vision, then increased technology budgets are essential. AI-driven infrastructure requires sustained investment.
Rajeev: Western Digital’s success in India has been closely tied to its strong partner ecosystem. What message would you like to share with your partners?
Owais: This is one of the best times the storage industry has seen. I would advise partners to secure their allocations and stay closely aligned with us. There are many exciting developments ahead, and we are committed to supporting our partners with innovative products and solutions.
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