“More and more enquiries coming online is helping R&M expand”

Channel partners are crucial to any organisations success. A channel partner is a touch point for a customer at that particular location. In an exclusive interaction with DQChannels, Shailendra Trivedi, director, Operations and Channel Development at R&M India explores the importance of the relationship between the vendor and the channel partner is along with highlighting how the online presence is adding feather to the structured cabling business.

Is there any criteria for being your partner?

To be our channel partner they have to know about our products and solutions, and as to how our solutions will benefit customers. Without a working knowledge about our products they will not be able to advise and suggest suitable implementation for projects.

What is your channel strategy on a national scale? Are there any separate methodologies as per regions and customer demands of an area?

We have been taking channel partners on board with us from regions across the country. Hence, to build a strong brand presence in the country we have been conducting roadshows in Tier2 and and Tier 3 cities. Demands from different regions vary as their needs are different, but that won’t stop us from providing the right solutions to different cases.

Which region is the most prolific in terms of utilizing your product offering?

We have twelve partners on board with us, and are bringing more. We have a stronger presence in the South as we are based out of Bengaluru but that being said we do have sales personnel across the nation.

Which enterprise vertical has adopted your offerings?

We have been able to provide solutions to all verticals in the country. But we can see IT/ITeS, manufacturing and automotive as our strongest segments at the moment.

How do you measure your growth rate? What are your key innovational strategies for next year?

We have been growing rapidly over the years, roughly at the rate of 22%. Thanks to strategies that we have been able to implement year on year. We have planned to be even more aggressive and competitive next year as we can’t rest on our laurels.

Is there any competitor in the market?

We have a lot of competitors in the market at the moment but in terms of size there are 5-6 big players.

What measures are you taking to popularize your reach?

We have been investing a lot into our marketing, right from flyers to events. We have been trying to build better awareness across all regions. India is a large country and we have been here only for a few years, but that being said we have been able to grow so rapidly that we have been able to establish a strong presence. Still apart from that, we do collaterals, such as advertising in various B2B magazines.

Why do you think the channel is showcasing deceleration in the current year?

The channel business has done well for us and grown upon the previous year. It will continue to grow as well. So I don’t see any concerns in terms of sloth growth. However, that we will be able to judge in 2015.

Has there been any improvement (or expectation) with respect to the channel business from the new government?

There seems to be promising expectations with the new government. We are looking forward to gaining a stronger hold on the market through this. This can only be a positive sign for the structured cabling market.

Is the growth of online channel affecting the offline sales? If yes, how is it affecting your business model?

We see more and more enquiries coming online, but that is in turn increasing our business potential, mainly because the channel market is growing as well. This doesn't affect our business model, rather it adds to the expansion.

Any measures that you are undertaking to address the issue of online and offline channel sales?

We have an extremely strong sales and operation team. This enables us to handle and take forward queries from both online and offline channels. This not only shows positive growth for the organisation but also that of the structured cabling market.

Anushri Mondal

(anushrim@cybermedia.co.in)