Missing: Indian Vendors On The Awards List

The results of the IMRB survey on DQCI Channels' Choice Awards are a revelation from at least one perspective. The channel has not voted even a single Indian vendor to any of the six award categories meant for them. 

IMRB went to 650 channel partners, including dealers, resellers, retailers, systems and network integrators, and service providers, across the country in six metros with open-ended questions: Which do you think is the best IT company for incentive programs; marketing; warranty; and training support; innovative product launches; and technology advancement.

The channel voted overwhelmingly for HP, Intel, Samsung and Microsoft. They voted for Tech Pacific and Redington in the distributors' category. The partners have left Indian vendors in the cold.

It is not that Indian vendors do not have a strong channel. Indeed, if there is one strength that these vendors can boast of, it is the loyalty of their partners, which has built painstakingly over the years. And yet, the channel has not voted any of the Indian vendors as their favorites. 

The Indian vendors may argue that they have a dual sales strategy -- direct and through channels, while MNCs do all their sales through channels. The argument is well taken but the question still remains: Why the channel does not have a top-of-the-mind recall for Indian vendors despite the fact that the latter have built up their reach over a long period of time?

There is another argument that the MNCs have won the laurels because of their money power? This is true, perhaps, to a certain extent. MNCs do pump in money in their marketing efforts, be it print, electronic or other media. But to attribute the awards only to money power would be distortion of facts and negation of the efforts put in by the award winners in building up their channel so meticulously. 

Take the case of DQCI Channels' Choice Award for Warranty Support. At least in this category, the Indian vendors should have made a mark because of their wide network of partners across the country. But, even here the channel did not vote the Indian brands as their favorites. 

Perhaps, it is time that Indian vendors did some soul-searching. We are certain that they too are spending substantial amounts on marketing efforts. What needs to be examined is that whether every rupee spent on the channel goes to create the top-of-mind recall for the respective brand or not. The results of the DQCI survey show otherwise. Shall we expect some surprises next year?

sylvesterl@cmil.com