Datadog's partner-first strategy in India: Observability meets AI and advisory

As Indian enterprises accelerate cloud adoption, AI experimentation and large-scale digital modernisation, the complexity of managing performance, security and cost across distributed environments has grown exponentially. Observability, once viewed as a narrow IT operations function, is now becoming a strategic layer that connects engineering, security, finance and business leadership. In this shifting landscape, Datadog is deepening its India presence with a clear focus on ecosystem-led scale.

In a conversation with DQ Channels, Eric Gaines, Channel & Alliances Director, APAC, Datadog, outlines how the company’s expanding footprint in India, combined with a simplified partner programme, is designed to help partners move beyond siloed monitoring projects into AI-driven, advisory-led and platform-centric engagements.

Scaling Datadog in India Through a Partner-First Lens

Datadog’s expansion in India is not limited to headcount growth; it is tightly coupled with a partner-led go-to-market strategy. Gaines explains that the intent is less about fixing “gaps” and more about responding to changing enterprise demands.

“I don't know if I call it a gap, but there are definitely new and emerging requirements we're seeing from clients in the market, and we're seeking to help address some of those new opportunities and those new requirements through a partner-first model.”

Datadog has significantly increased its investment across India, establishing a strong presence in Bengaluru and expanding into Mumbai and Delhi. According to Gaines, this scale is essential to meet diverse customer needs while enabling partners to play a central role.

“We have dramatically expanded our people footprint and our investment in India… and as we do that, expanding customer success people and solution engineers and account executives, helping them to really rapidly cover many different client requirements.”

This expansion is also closely aligned with Datadog’s hyperscaler relationships, which Gaines describes as instrumental in helping customers operationalise cloud and digital initiatives.

From Siloed Tools to Platform-Level Observability

One of the most visible shifts Gaines highlights is the move away from isolated monitoring tools toward integrated, platform-level observability that supports cross-functional collaboration.

“Clients are moving away from single siloed domains and solutions, teams operating really closely together as units, and a lot of the technologies that are in use don't really support that way of working.”

This transition is expanding the addressable market for partners. Observability is no longer limited to SREs or IT operations teams; it now spans DevOps, DevSecOps and business stakeholders.

“It's no longer just monitoring people or SREs; we're moving to DevOps and DevSecOps. The opportunities in the market for partners are to provide that full spectrum capability for clients who want to operate at a platform level instead of a desktop level.”

For partners, this opens opportunities across advisory, deployment and ongoing operations, spanning observability, cloud cost management, security and increasingly, AI.

AI Conversations Are Redefining Observability Personas

AI is reshaping not just enterprise architectures, but also who participates in technology buying and value discussions. Gaines notes that many AI initiatives stall due to a lack of visibility and confidence.

“A lot of the AI requirements that clients have now, come because of a lack of good quality visibility.”

He frames many AI challenges, model performance, hallucination rates, cost efficiency and security, as observability problems at their core.

“One way of looking at all those problems is they are observability problems.”

Whether it is choosing between large language models, optimising GPU utilisation, or securing AI stacks, visibility becomes a decision-making accelerator.

“Just having good quality visibility of those kinds of dimensions actually helps me to make good technology selection.”

Crucially, AI-driven observability is bringing Datadog and its partners into conversations with entirely new stakeholders.

“Sometimes those conversations are not with the IT operations team; they might be with the CEO or a line of business head who's really interested in this outcome that they're trying to build.”

Simplifying Partner Engagement With the Datadog Partner Network

Predictability and simplicity are central themes of Datadog’s refreshed partner strategy. In early 2024, the company relaunched its programme as the Datadog Partner Network (DPN).

“Predictability is the most important word, and I'd couple that with simplicity.”

Gaines describes the programme as intentionally straightforward, addressing long-standing friction points in partner ecosystems.

“We've got a three-tier program. It's really simple, easy to participate in and to use while also having all the things that you really want from a core partner program.”

Partners gain access to self-paced sales and technical training, deal registration, marketing assets, MDF, and reselling capabilities, all through a streamlined portal.

“We've really tried to make it easy for partners to register for the Datadog Partner Network, to access agreements, to access training.”

This simplicity, combined with Datadog’s broad platform, enables partners to address multiple domains, observability, cost management, security and AI, through a single relationship.

Building Skills Through Proof-of-Value Collaboration

Datadog is also embedding partners deeper into its customer engagement lifecycle. Gaines points to structured onboarding and proof-of-value exercises as a key enabler.

“We have quite a disciplined customer onboarding process, and one thing that we're able to do with partners in India is actually bring those partners into that process so they can shadow with us.”

This approach accelerates skills transfer while giving partners first-hand exposure to real-world enterprise challenges.

“It's a rapid way for them to skill up, and a really good way for partners to get insight into the problems that we're trying to solve.”

Turning 1,000+ Integrations Into Differentiation

Datadog’s ecosystem of over 1,000 integrations is another lever partners can use to stand out in a crowded observability and security market. Gaines outlines two distinct opportunities.

First, partners can build and monetise their own integrations.

“We actually have a really strong technology partner program; partners might be able to build that integration and then publish that IP on our marketplace.”

Second, the breadth of integrations gives partners confidence in addressing hybrid and modern environments.

“Finding a platform that can give the client really good telemetry across both traditional and modern technology is a huge value add.”

This capability is particularly valuable in modernisation and cloud migration projects.

“Using observability tools in the current state as well as the future state really helps to govern that transition. It reduces complexity, and it reduces risk.”

Advisory, AI and the Next Wave of Partner Opportunity

Looking ahead, Gaines sees partner opportunities expanding well beyond traditional resale and managed services models.

“We're also looking to the future, what kind of value add our partners are likely to be successful with three or five years from now.”

AI-led transformation is already creating demand for high-quality advisory services.

“We're actually seeing a lot of the emphasis shift to good quality advisory, how to chart your AI strategy.”

He also highlights regulatory and resiliency use cases, where partners use Datadog not as a product to resell, but as an engine to deliver advisory outcomes.

“In that case, they're not selling technology, they're actually using our technology to deliver an outcome in an advisory capacity.”

Conclusion: Observability as a Business Accelerator, Not Just a Tool

Datadog’s partner-first strategy in India reflects a broader shift in how enterprises consume technology. Observability is no longer confined to dashboards and alerts; it is becoming a foundational layer for AI adoption, cloud modernisation and regulatory readiness. As Eric Gaines makes clear, this evolution is reshaping partner roles, customer conversations and revenue models.

By simplifying partner engagement, expanding skills through collaboration, and positioning observability as a bridge between technology and business outcomes, Datadog is enabling its ecosystem to move upstream, from deployment and monitoring into advisory, AI and platform-led transformation. For Indian partners navigating a market defined by rapid digital change, this shift may prove to be not just timely, but strategically decisive.

Read More:

How Zoom is reinventing its partner ecosystem in India & APAC

CrowdStrike on empowering India’s channel partners for cybersecurity’s future

Quick Heal version 26: anti-fraud, dark-web monitoring and partner growth

How Confluent enables partner growth through developer education & AI integration