Building Partner-Led Identity Security in the Cloud Era

Okta, an identity and access management company, has been focusing heavily on strengthening its channel-led go-to-market model across the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region. With identity becoming the bedrock of modern cybersecurity and digital transformation, the company is working closely with global system integrators (GSIs), value-added resellers (VARs), and managed security service providers (MSSPs) to extend the reach of its zero-trust and cloud-first identity solutions.

Ajay Advani, Vice President, APJ Channel & Strategic Alliances at Okta, shared insights with DQ Channels on how the company’s evolving partner strategy is enabling growth, scalability, and stronger security outcomes for customers in a cloud-native landscape.

Growth Anchored by Partner-Led Momentum

Reflecting on Okta’s performance over the past year, Advani highlighted the company’s success with new product lines and partner-driven outcomes.

“In our last published results, we showed great growth as a company. Our governance products, many of them tied to AI, started to gain traction, such as Identity Security Process Management (ISPM) and Identity Threat Protection (ITP),” he said.

While Okta does not disclose the percentage of revenue driven by partners, Advani emphasised their growing role. “I can tell you that it’s growing very substantially in its share within the company,” he noted. Milestones such as crossing a billion dollars in transactions with AWS and receiving the Google Partner of the Year award further reinforce the strength of its ecosystem.

Identity at the Core of Digital Transformation

As organisations accelerate their digital transformation, identity is becoming foundational to both scalability and security. Advani noted that cybersecurity threats rise in tandem with digitisation, which makes identity a critical component of risk mitigation.

“Okta provides a centralised system for identity and access management,” he explained. “Instead of identity spread, we consolidate everything in one place—cloud-first, cost-efficient, and fast to update.”

He emphasised Okta’s neutrality and its ability to integrate with over 8,000 applications. “We meet the customer where they are. That’s our biggest strength—we work across the customer’s security stack, whether it’s Zscaler, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, or others.”

This interoperability, according to Advani, is what makes identity the hub of any security framework, particularly for businesses pursuing hybrid or multi-cloud architectures.

Partners Enable Scale in Cloud-Native Environments

In APJ, partners are playing a pivotal role in Okta’s market coverage, especially as businesses adopt cloud-native models. Citing Canalys data, Advani pointed out that nearly 90% of cybersecurity spending is routed through partners.

“Our partners do more than just resell,” he said. “They conduct security audits, pen testing, and advisory services. Many of them also handle deployment and deliver managed services, including Security Operations Centre (SOC) capabilities.”

Okta’s partner engagement goes beyond sales. In India, for instance, all services are delivered with partners. The company encourages co-delivery and certification to elevate partner capabilities.

“We have focused partners that we work with directly, and we’ve adopted a train-the-trainer model with our distributor to scale enablement,” he added.

Tailored Support Across Partner Categories

Addressing concerns around channel competition, Advani explained how Okta works differently with GSIs, resellers, and distributors—adapting to each partner's business model instead of forcing alignment.

“With GSIs, it’s all about strategic advisory and transformational projects. We co-develop proposals and often serve as a subcontractor,” he explained. “On the other hand, resellers give us the scale needed to reach India’s vast SMB and digital native market.”

Okta divides resellers into two segments: focus partners that it engages with directly and distributor-managed partners for broader geographic coverage. “We work directly with partners like 22by7 and Value Point. For reaching into smaller towns, we rely on our distributor network.”

This dual approach allows Okta to support large transformation projects while ensuring coverage across a fragmented market.

Identity as a Revenue Enabler

One of the persistent challenges in security adoption, particularly in markets like India, is that cybersecurity is seen as a cost centre. Advani challenged this view by illustrating how identity solutions—specifically, Okta’s customer identity platform Auth0—can directly contribute to revenue growth and customer retention.

“When you log into your bank or book a ride on an app, you want seamless access. If the experience is clunky, users drop off. That’s churn—and that’s lost revenue,” he said. Auth0, according to Advani, is built to verify identity securely while enabling a frictionless customer experience. This also allows companies to personalise services and drive engagement in loyalty programs, as demonstrated in deployments with global brands and some major Indian airlines.

Regulatory Compliance and AI: Identity's Expanding Role

As APJ markets adopt tighter data protection regulations—such as India’s upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA)—identity verification is becoming the foundation for compliance. “The starting point for any regulation is: who is in the network?” said Advani. “Only when you identify the right person can you ensure proper consent and control access to data.”

He further highlighted the rising need to secure non-human identities, particularly in the age of agentic AI—autonomous AI systems that access enterprise systems to make decisions. “These AI agents must be authenticated and authorised like humans. What system are they accessing? What level of access do they have?” Okta addresses these challenges by ensuring agentic AI systems are governed securely and contextually.

India Strategy: Scaling Through Localised Partner Engagement

India has emerged as a critical market for Okta, not only because of its enterprise growth but also due to its distributed geography and language diversity. “We cannot scale without partners in India,” asserted Advani. “Our entire service delivery in India is through partners. We train them, we co-deliver complex projects, and let them manage renewals. It’s a recurring revenue stream for them and ensures they stay invested in customer success.”

He emphasised that partners bring irreplaceable local insight. “Partners speak the language, understand the culture, and have long-standing customer relationships. Their advocacy is more powerful than any direct marketing.”

Conclusion: Partner-Led, Customer-First

Ajay Advani's perspective underscores a consistent theme: Okta’s channel strategy is rooted in flexibility, specialisation and long-term trust. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all partner model, Okta aligns with each partner’s business model—whether it’s advisory-led GSIs or scale-focused resellers. This strategy enables partners to engage across the customer lifecycle—from security audits and deployments to managed services and renewals.

Okta is also future-proofing its offerings by integrating identity with evolving areas like agentic AI, API-driven platforms, and regulatory compliance frameworks. As Advani said, “It’s not about Okta or the partner; it’s about the customer. And if we keep our focus there, growth follows.”

His final comment reflects Okta's Vision -

“Partners are lovely people to work with. When I extend a handshake, I often get a hug in return. That’s what makes this ecosystem so rewarding—mutual trust, and a shared commitment to making the customer successful.”

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