Crafting cyber resilience - ESET Rewriting the partner playbook for India

Ajay Kumar Joshi, Country Head, India and SAARC, ESET, explains how a prevention-first security model, customised partner enablement, and deeper local presence are shaping the company's unique channel-first strategy in one of the world’s most complex IT markets.

Partner-powered to the core - ESET Acknowledges Partners

When asked about ESET’s business performance and how the Indian channel has contributed to it, Ajay Kumar Joshi was clear. “The partners contribute almost 100% of the revenue for ESET,” he said. “Globally, we work through partners only, and the same goes for the Indian market.”

ESET’s go-to-market is fully dependent on its channel. In an increasingly competitive security space, the company’s partner-led model isn’t just strategy; it’s the foundation.

Prevention-first, not response last - ESET strategy

“Our prevention-first approach is stopping threats before they become a problem,” Joshi explained. This isn’t a reactive model. The focus is on identifying and neutralising threats before they can reach a customer’s systems.

“We come across five lakh new threats every day,” he said. “Even one of them slipping through can cause major disruptions.” ESET’s approach includes multi-layered protection covering every stage, including pre-execution, during execution and post-execution.

Beyond this, ESET also offers services such as vulnerability and patch management, full disc encryption for data protection, and mail security for Office 365 environments.

“Most ransomware threats typically originate from unsolicited or spam emails. A simple click by an unaware user can lead to infection. That’s why we bundle all these layers into a complete security suite,” Joshi said.

This approach, he added, is relevant across the board, from micro-SMBs to mid-sized enterprises. “Endpoint security remains the base of the security pyramid,” he said. “Its importance has only grown with the emergence of EDR, MDR and XDR.”

Two kinds of partners, two kinds of strategies

India’s partner ecosystem is vast and diverse. To address this, ESET’s channel strategy is designed around two distinct partner types:

1. Opportunity partners – who operate on a deal-by-deal basis

2. Focus partners – who work closely with ESET on quarterly or long-term goals

“For focus partners, we start right from the joint go-to-market strategy,” Joshi said. “Some partners are strong in IT/ITeS, others in BFSI or manufacturing. Their compliance needs are different. Their customer maturity levels vary. We tailor our strategy accordingly.”

For BFSI, for example, compliance is key. “The vertical is governed by regulatory bodies like RBI and IRDA. We customise our approach to align with these needs,” he added.

Partner enablement that actually enables

Enablement is a term loosely thrown around in channel circles. But ESET appears to have systematised it.

“We support partners from the first step, identifying the opportunity, to presales discussions to understanding customer pain points and solution design,” said Joshi. “Deal registration is a crucial element here. Without that, partners don’t feel secure in investing their time.”

The company recently launched a new incentive program, driven by its APAC office in Singapore. The scheme targets partners bringing in net-new business of 100+ users. But Joshi was quick to stress, “The incentive is important, yes, but enablement matters more.”

To support this, ESET gives partners access to:

• Sales and technical certifications in cybersecurity

• Weekly and on-demand webinars

• One-day ‘blitz’ engagements focused on customer outreach

• Roundtable discussions to help convert leads into opportunities

“This is a full-cycle approach. From identifying the right partner to enabling them and helping them with lead generation, offline and online, we’re with them throughout,” he said.

Regional teams, local context

ESET has made a conscious effort to invest in local teams. “We’ve placed our sales and presales resources in every major region, except East for now,” Joshi said.

Why the emphasis on local presence? “Cybersecurity is about trust. It’s about helping partners and customers understand what sets us apart,” he noted.

For ESET, that difference comes from its R&D depth. “One-third of our global workforce is in research and development,” Joshi shared. “Our anti-malware research goes back 35 years. That kind of depth gives us confidence to compete in a crowded endpoint market.”

He also highlighted the company’s shift in focus. “Earlier, we were concentrated on SMBs, but over the last five years, we’ve made strong inroads into the enterprise segment. We’ve launched EDR, MDR, and threat intelligence services; these are now key parts of our enterprise proposition.”

Renewal protection: a partner-first move

Another key pillar of ESET’s India strategy is renewal protection for incumbent partners.

“It takes enormous effort to onboard a customer. From identification to POC to deployment, it’s a long cycle,” Joshi said. “So we believe partners who brought in that customer should enjoy 100% renewal protection.”

This, he explained, has a dual advantage:

• Partners focus confidently on new opportunities

• ESET enjoys long-term relationships with well-onboarded customers

“It’s a win-win,” he said.

Going deeper into India's enterprise verticals

ESET is segmenting its strategy not just by partner type but also by vertical and geography.

For example:

• Manufacturing customers often need endpoint protection, encryption, and mail security.

• BFSI and IT/ITeS customers demand compliance-readiness, GDPR alignment and security integrations with SIEM platforms.

Joshi shared that ESET works closely with partners to build region-specific strategies. “Some partners are metro-focused. Others prefer upcountry territories. We respect that. Our role is to enable them based on their strengths.”

He added that customer roundtables in metro cities have seen conversion rates of 20%–30%. “That’s a strong signal that this model is working.”

New offering: cybersecurity awareness training

Rounding off the first half of the discussion, Joshi hinted at an important new direction.

“We are launching cybersecurity awareness training,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, the weakest link is the human one. You can have the best security system in place—but if your people aren’t trained, it can all fall apart.”

He sees this not just as a product, but as a new revenue opportunity for partners.

“They can offer it as a value-added solution or upsell. It’s relevant, timely and badly needed,” he concluded.

Opening the doors wider: no entry barriers for new partners

When asked whether a new partner, especially from a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city, must meet any strict conditions before associating with ESET, Ajay Kumar Joshi was straightforward. “Honestly, there is no such requirement,” he said. “We understand that endpoint security, particularly in the B2B space, is a back-to-back business. There’s no specific financial benchmark.”

He emphasised that all a partner needs is a basic operational setup, perhaps one or two people who can actively talk to customers about solutions. “We don’t expect them to be large resellers from day one,” he said. “Our team and our value-added distributors offer full support right from onboarding.”

Once onboarded, new partners receive access to ESET’s education portal at no cost. “They get trained on our products and solutions immediately. Our only expectation is focus; if they are serious about positioning ESET, they’re good to go,” he added.

Even at the presales stage, ESET’s team and distributors’ technical staff actively support new partners as they pitch to their first few customers.

The road to 2025: expanding presence, empowering partners

Looking at the future, Joshi reaffirmed the centrality of partners in ESET’s roadmap for India. “Partners are at the heart of our business, globally and in India,” he said. “With their support, we’ve posted healthy growth in the past few years. We aim to keep that momentum going.”

ESET is now expanding its reach by onboarding new distributors who can open up fresh market segments across the country. The focus remains twofold, adding partners in both metro cities and emerging towns.

“In metros, we are targeting high-security-focused partners who can take us into large enterprise accounts, especially in IT/ITeS hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Gurugram,” Joshi said. But the opportunity isn’t limited to the metros.

“There’s huge untapped potential in smaller cities too,” he noted. “These areas don’t have intense competition. Many MNCs haven’t focused there yet. But these customers face the same threats as large enterprises. Malware doesn’t discriminate.”

This is where the local partner network becomes critical. “Even in smaller cities, if our partners are trained well, they can take our solutions, like ESET Protect Complete, to these businesses effectively,” he said.

Joshi highlighted that this solution goes well beyond endpoint protection. It includes:

• Zero-day threat prevention

• Vulnerability scanning

• Patch management

• Basic MDM capabilities with equal mobile licences included

“The added value here is substantial, and the incremental cost for customers is minimal,” he said. “But to take this message out, partners are key.”

Cybersecurity training: from five users to full scale

Another game-changing offering is ESET’s cybersecurity awareness training, which is soon to be launched in India.

“Even a five-user company can benefit from it,” Joshi explained. “It includes phishing simulations, threat awareness modules, and best practices for employees. Because at the end of the day, the weakest link is still the human one.”

He sees this as a major value addition for partners, who can position the training as both an upsell and a value-driven differentiator.

“This program creates a win-win for partners looking to grow and for customers who want to build internal cyber hygiene,” he said.

A message to the channel: stay updated, stay aware

In closing, Joshi had a clear message for the partner community.

“Our growth in India is directly due to our partners,” he said. “But with AI and ML now being used by both cybersecurity vendors and attackers alike, the landscape is evolving fast. Everyone, partners and customers, must stay updated.”

He urged partners to not only compare solutions based on features or margins but also to assess the R&D strength behind the vendor. “Your service provider must have a global footprint and deep research backing. Threats can originate from anywhere.”

And while profitability is important, he added, what matters even more is trust. “Your customers are relying on you to secure them. The solutions you offer must live up to that trust.”

Training and enablement, he emphasised, remain non-negotiable. “That’s what creates long-term value. It’s not just about transactions, it’s about protecting your customer.”

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