‘China+1’ strategy has certainly opened up new opportunities for India: Ingram Micro CEO

What is your long-term vision for India? How much have you invested in India so far, and what are your investment plans in the next 5 years?

Ingram Micro’s vision is to become one of the world’s largest platform companies, bringing speed, scale and service to our channel ecosystem. India plays a central role in this journey and as the second-largest market after the US. It is a critical region to drive growth, innovation and value across our business. Over the years, we’ve made significant investments in building our Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in Mumbai and Chennai, which serve as digital and operational engines supporting our global operations. We also have a growing presence in Pune, home to a talented team in our Global Process Group (GPG), further strengthening our capabilities and reinforcing our commitment to building a strong, distributed talent base. Looking ahead, our focus will remain on enhancing digital capabilities, expanding reach in Tier-2 and 3 cities and advancing our AI-powered Xvantage platform, with India often being the first market where new innovations are launched. We’re committed to growth in India, both in terms of infrastructure and talent, to ensure we continue delivering high-value solutions locally and globally.

How is your India business contributing to the company’s growth mix? What’s your target this year or in the next five years?

While we don’t disclose country-specific figures, India continues to deliver double-digit growth across several strategic product lines. Looking ahead, we expect continued strong performance in India supported by deeper digital adoption and strong demand from SMBs and mid-market customers. India is also helping us reimagine how we serve our customers – from the way we deliver solutions to how we harness data to drive more personalised, efficient service through Xvantage.

Do you plan to participate in India’s semiconductor or AI ecosystem as an enabler?

Absolutely. While we don’t manufacture chips, we play a pivotal role as a technology aggregator helping partners build infrastructure for AI workloads and next-gen compute. With AI gaining traction, we’re focused on enabling the ecosystem through solutions, training and alliances, particularly in edge data centres, GPUs and AI-ready cloud platforms.

With AI in the picture, do you think India has enough talent? What are you doing on skilled workforce here?

Our associates are immensely talented and we believe in nurturing that talent. We’re investing in partner training programmes, AI certifications and internal reskilling to help our associates continue to grow in their roles. Our GCCs also serve as hubs for AI development. People are the heart of AI transformation, and we’re helping our associates, customers and partners go aggressively digital while staying amazingly human.

How do you assess India benefiting from the ‘China+1’ strategy adopted by many global players?

The ‘China+1’ strategy has certainly opened up new opportunities for India, as global companies look to diversify their supply chains and reduce over dependence on a single geography. India stands out as a strong alternative, thanks to its large talent pool, improving infrastructure and growing digital economy. We’re seeing increased interest from global players in leveraging India not just as a manufacturing base, but also as a hub for innovation, services and digital capabilities. For Ingram Micro, this shift aligns well with our long-term strategy.

Do you see any impact of tariff barriers between India and the US?

Ingram Micro is uniquely positioned to reach nearly 90 per cent of the global population, with a diverse footprint that spans geographies, product categories and services. This global reach allows us to adapt quickly to shifting trade dynamics and support our partners wherever they do business. While we closely monitor evolving trade policies, our focus remains on compliance, stability and delivering value as we continue to put the customer at the centre of everything we do. Our breadth of vendor offerings often allows us to provide alternative products in the same category that may not be subject to tariffs. This includes managed services, cloud-based solutions, professional services and solution architecture, all delivered through Xvantage. We also offer flexible financing options to help partners maintain momentum and growth, even in challenging market conditions. Ultimately, we take a thoughtful, measured approach that ensures our partners can navigate global challenges with confidence.