At Dell Technologies Forum 2026 in Mumbai, Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal, spoke with Atul Mehta, Senior Director and GM – India Channels, Dell Technologies, about the changing partner landscape, Dell’s evolving channel programmes, the importance of deeper customer relationships and the opportunities emerging for partners in the AI era.
Rajeev: AI is creating a much larger and more complex technology opportunity. How is this changing the role of Dell Technologies partners?
Atul: Customers today are looking for advisers and consultants rather than just traditional technology resale partners. They want partners who can bring together infrastructure, applications, data, security and services to address their business requirements.
This makes partners with the right combination of skills more relevant than ever. Those who are using AI tools internally, identifying customer challenges and developing solutions to address them are particularly well positioned to succeed. Customers are increasingly interested in working with partners who understand their business problems and can deliver meaningful outcomes, rather than simply selling technology products.
Rajeev: What kind of support is Dell providing to help partners respond to these changing customer expectations?
Atul: Our partner support structures are closely aligned with what customers need today. Enterprise AI, cyber resilience and infrastructure modernisation are among the key priorities, and our rebate programmes are designed to support these focus areas.
We believe that a successful partnership rests on four important elements: relationships, clarity, trust and expertise. Partners need to build strong relationships with customers, have clarity about the solutions they offer, earn customer trust in the products and portfolio they represent, and possess the expertise required to deploy those solutions effectively.
When these elements come together, they create a strong partnership that benefits the OEM, the channel partner and, most importantly, the customer.
Rajeev: How is Dell evolving its partner programme to reflect the changing role of channel partnerships?
Atul: Dell Technologies has industry’s best partner programme and follows a partner-first strategy in its storage portfolio. We are focused on building deeper relationships with our partners and helping them generate greater business value from their customer engagements.
The approach is no longer about simply chasing new customer logos. It is about developing a deeper presence within existing accounts and increasing our share of the customer's technology spending by understanding their evolving requirements.
Our focused account rewards programme supports partners in strengthening these relationships. We also have focused product rebates that reward partners for driving adoption in priority areas, including AI. Partners that build the right capabilities and deliver in these areas can benefit from the opportunities our programmes create.
Ultimately, these initiatives are intended to strengthen collaboration between Dell, our partners and customers while helping customers achieve better business outcomes.
Rajeev: How important is it for partners to deepen existing customer relationships instead of focusing primarily on new customer acquisition?
Atul: Deepening customer relationships is critical in the current environment. Traditionally, partners largely operated as resellers, buying technology from OEMs and selling it to customers. Today, customers expect much more from them.
They want partners who can advise and consult, understand their business challenges and help mitigate those challenges through the right technology solutions. This requires stronger relationships, a clear understanding of customer requirements and the ability to build trust.
Rather than focusing only on acquiring new accounts, partners should invest time in understanding their existing customers and identifying opportunities across enterprise AI, cyber resilience and infrastructure modernisation.
Rajeev: What should partners do differently to leverage AI opportunities and deliver greater value to customers?
Atul: Our message to partners is straightforward: AI is no longer just an investment; it is becoming a new operating model. Partners that adopt AI quickly and integrate it effectively into their businesses will be better positioned to differentiate themselves in the eyes of customers.
They should develop their own AI capabilities and use tools internally to improve productivity and free up time for sales teams to spend more time engaging with customers. This can help them become more responsive, identify opportunities more effectively and deliver a better customer experience.
Dell complements these capabilities with a strong end-to-end product portfolio, global reach and a robust supply chain. When partners combine their own differentiated strategies with Dell's technology and capabilities, they can offer more comprehensive solutions and help customers address complex business challenges.
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