The Indian storage market has been growing exponentially and it continues to achieve new heights. The amount of data being generated today is huge and it has augmented the demand for reliable, secure and cost-effective storage solutions. Western Digital is the leader in storage market and serving the customers with its cutting-edge products. It has expanded the channel strength to reach out to the customers across India. In a recent chat with DT, Khalid Wani, Senior Director – Sales, India, Western Digital talked about their growth, vision, opportunities, partners and much more.
DT: Please share Overall Performance in Year 2022
Khalid: In addition to strong financial performance, fiscal year 2022 was a hallmark year for Western Digital from an innovation, product development and execution perspective. The combination of our innovation engine and the multiple channels to deliver our products to the market has put Western Digital in a great position to capitalize on the large and growing opportunities in storage ahead even in the midst of macro dynamics weighing on near-term demand.
DT: Please share target revenue or growth percentage to achieve by end of 2022.
Khalid: Western Digital does not disclose its revenues from a country perspective, but we can tell you that India continues to contribute quite significantly and is one of the most important growth markets for Western Digital.
DT: What are the key features that make your brand better than others?
Khalid: At Western Digital, our vision behind introducing any new product is – how we can make our consumers' lives easier. Thus, as a technology-first company, we are constantly innovating with an emphasis on bringing convenient products with newer, better, and faster technology. Given our vast network worldwide, we are continually researching the market trends to provide our customers with customized solutions. The unsurmountable trust that consumers have in our products is a testament to the superior technological innovations we bring for them. We value the position we enjoy in the market because of the faith our customers have in us. Keeping "the customer at the center" strategy in mind, our brands offer the best experiences.
DT: How do you take care of channel margins & profitability?
Khalid: Our channel partners are an important component of our success and a natural extension of our company. We keep our channel partners well-informed to arm and prepare them for dealing with the changing consumer needs, market dynamics and educating them on Western Digital products and solutions. In order to do so, we conduct a variety of channel partner programmes to capitalise on a wide range of market opportunities. We also help them connect with customers more effectively. Our SanDisk League of Heroes (SLH) programme, for example, acknowledges and rewards high-performing consumer channel partners, whereas our MyWD Partner incentive programme enables and promotes partners who sell storage drives, NAS, and surveillance/smart video systems.
DT: Please share few support initiatives for channel community.
Khalid: We have been consolidating and segmenting our channel partners for growth in major channel networks such as mobile, retail, IT, surveillance, and business channel networks over the years. We have a channel marketing approach that is integrated and based on three important pillars: education, reward, and engagement. For example, we run different programs like TechTalk- an app-based training module for channel partners, and WhatsApp business platform to engage with channel partners to address newer opportunities emerging in the current environment. Hence, we are able to create demand for partners to revive and grow their business quickly. Additionally, we also provide product material and sales creation resources, as well as connect them with prospects via social media.
