Enabling Edge: How partners drive edge computing adoption in India?

As enterprises in India strive to manage massive volumes of data generated at remote locations, edge computing is emerging as a transformative solution. It brings compute power closer to the data source, reducing latency, enhancing security, and enabling real-time decision-making. However, challenges such as the complexity of deployment, managing distributed infrastructure, and ensuring security remain key hurdles, especially for industries that are only beginning to explore edge technologies.

In this evolving landscape, Dell Technologies is placing a strong focus on enabling Indian partners to capitalise on the edge opportunity. In a detailed conversation, Vivek Malhotra, Senior Director & General Manager – India Channels, Dell Technologies, outlined how the company is supporting its partner ecosystem in building scalable, AI-ready edge practices tailored to India’s diverse verticals.

Powering Partner-Led Edge Innovation

"At Dell Technologies, we recognise that the edge is where innovation meets action. As data increasingly gets generated outside traditional data centres, we are enabling our Indian channel partners with the right tools, technologies, and go-to-market strategies to address this shift," said Vivek Malhotra.

"Through our AI- and edge-ready infrastructure, combined with tailored solutions like Dell NativeEdge, partners can simplify deployments and drive customer outcomes closer to the point of data creation. Our partner ecosystem is being empowered with validated edge solutions that streamline complexity and help deliver faster time to value."

Industry Focus: Manufacturing and Healthcare Lead Edge Adoption

Edge computing is gaining traction across industries where real-time data processing is critical. According to Malhotra, "Sectors like manufacturing and healthcare are leading the way in adoption. The manufacturing industry is harnessing the power of AI at the edge. This is helping businesses to drive better efficiency, flexibility, and resolve challenges."

He explained that edge capabilities allow organisations to benefit from real-time analysis and insights, overcome siloed technology deployments, scale across multiple edge locations, and manage a vast number of heterogeneous devices with greater data and asset security.

"Healthcare is leveraging the edge for quicker diagnostics and remote patient monitoring. There will be more scrutiny on healthcare boardrooms, including proof of robust cybersecurity and resiliency measures and demonstrable pressure-test outcomes showing that their strategies and tactics will work as intended," he added.

"Other industries like logistics and retail are benefiting from edge’s ability to bring compute closer to the data source, enabling faster decision-making, improved performance, and enhanced security—key requirements for modern enterprises navigating digital transformation. Dell’s edge offerings, including Dell NativeEdge and APEX, are tailored to address these needs with scalable, secure, and easily managed infrastructure that aligns with sector-specific workloads."

Building Capability: Training, Certification, and Use-Case Enablement

On equipping partners with the skills to lead in the edge computing space, Malhotra shared, "As edge computing becomes more central to enterprise transformation, industry-wide efforts are being made to equip partners with the right skills. Across the ecosystem, we're seeing a push towards hands-on, use-case-driven training that enables partners to understand sector-specific needs."

"The goal is to help partners move beyond reselling hardware and become true solution consultants, capable of designing, deploying, and managing edge environments at scale."

Embracing Consumption-Based Models

Recognising the importance of financial flexibility, especially for SMBs, Malhotra said, "The industry is increasingly shifting towards flexible, consumption-based models to support edge deployments, especially in the mid-market and SMB segments where upfront investments can be a barrier."

"As-a-service frameworks are helping democratise access to edge infrastructure. This approach is enabling partners to provide agile, outcome-based solutions, aligning better with customer expectations around operational flexibility and cost efficiency."

The Strategic Role of Partners in AI and IoT Integration

As edge computing converges with AI, IoT, and analytics, Dell is counting on its Indian partner ecosystem to lead that integration. Malhotra emphasised, "Indian partners play a critical role in accelerating convergence at the edge. As enterprises look to deploy AI, IoT, and analytics for real-time insights, partners bring domain knowledge, local context, and system integration expertise."

"We’re helping our ecosystem harness the full potential of Dell AI Factory in partnership with NVIDIA. This enables partners to deliver integrated, future-ready solutions that address business-critical challenges and create differentiated value."

Conclusion: Partnering for an Edge-Ready Future

As edge computing moves from concept to implementation, Indian enterprises are beginning to embrace its potential, especially in data-intensive sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and retail. However, complexity, cost, and skills gaps continue to challenge adoption.

Dell Technologies, through its edge platforms, vertical-specific solutions, and partner-centric strategies, is playing a crucial role in addressing these challenges. As Vivek Malhotra highlighted throughout the discussion, the company’s focus is on empowering partners, not just with tools, but with the knowledge and business models they need to deliver integrated, AI-powered edge solutions at scale.

"Edge computing is not just about deploying infrastructure closer to the data. It’s about enabling actionable outcomes—and Indian partners are at the heart of delivering those outcomes," Malhotra concluded.

In a rapidly evolving technology landscape, such ecosystem-focused strategies may prove essential to making edge computing truly mainstream across India's digital economy.

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