Customers expect turnkey engineering solutions, not standalone test systems, says NI India country head Priyachandar

As engineering projects grow complex, NI is reshaping its partner ecosystem around specialist capabilities in cybersecurity, semiconductors and large-scale system integration, creating new opportunities beyond traditional product reselling.

Enterprise customers are no longer looking to procure individual test and measurement products; they expect complete engineering solutions that can be deployed faster and solve complex technology challenges. According to Priyachandar Paramasivam, country head and director, NI India, Emerson, that shift is fundamentally redefining the role of channel partners, pushing them beyond product supply towards system integration, domain expertise and turnkey project execution.

Speaking exclusively to CRN India during NI Days India 2026 in Bengaluru, Paramasivam said the complexity of modern engineering environments has significantly expanded the opportunity for partners capable of integrating multiple technologies rather than simply delivering NI's hardware and software.

"Ten to fifteen years ago, NI accounted for 40 to 50 percent of a typical test system. Today, we represent only about 20 percent. The remaining 80 percent consists of technologies that need to be integrated to build complete solutions such as ADAS test systems," he said.

For partners, that changing technology mix represents a much larger business opportunity than before.

Customers are not interested in assembling different components on their own. Instead, they expect partners to deliver complete validation and testing environments tailored to their specific requirements.

"We cannot ask customers to take our 20 percent and build the remaining 80 percent themselves. Companies are focused on solving their problems, not building test systems," Paramasivam said.

That shift is also changing how NI evaluates and expands its partner ecosystem. Rather than simply increasing the number of partners, the company is looking to build specialised capabilities that complement its own portfolio.

Cybersecurity is one such area.

As connected vehicles, industrial automation platforms and medical devices become software-defined, cybersecurity has emerged as a capability traditional engineering partners often do not possess.

"Our automotive partners have strong engineering expertise, but cybersecurity is fundamentally an IT capability. We would rather identify specialist cybersecurity companies and either partner directly with them or connect them with our existing partners so they can jointly deliver customer solutions," he said.

Paramasivam expects similar opportunities to emerge across medical technology, manufacturing and industrial automation, where connected systems are creating new cybersecurity requirements.

Aerospace and defence will be strategic growth areas

The company is following a similar approach in semiconductors and aerospace, two sectors it believes will require a much deeper ecosystem of specialised engineering partners over the coming years.

While India is beginning to build domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity through investments by companies such as Tata Semiconductor and Kaynes, Paramasivam believes partner capabilities are still evolving.

"We would like partners who can work with these companies. US-based organisations are willing to provide technical guidance while our Indian partners lead customer engagement. That collaboration is possible," he said.

He added that aerospace and defence will continue to remain another strategic growth area as sophisticated engineering programmes demand advanced validation and testing capabilities.

The changing customer expectation is also influencing NI's distribution strategy.

The company recently appointed Aimil Ltd. as its authorised distributor for North and East India, complementing existing distributor VVDN Technologies, which continues to manage South and West India.

Emerson currently works with three distributors including VVDN Technologies, Aimil Ltd. and element14, while also collaborating with over 20 system integrators that build industry-specific solutions on top of NI technologies.

Paramasivam said the decision reflects the realities of the Indian market, where engineering sales remain heavily relationship-driven.

"In the US, a $30,000 sale can happen over a phone call. In India, customers expect us to visit them multiple times before making even a smaller purchase. That means we need more people engaging with customers," he said.

Beyond expanding regional reach, having multiple distributors allows NI to create stronger regional focus while also ensuring business continuity.

Building specialised partner capabilities

The company is equally focused on enabling partners to build these specialist capabilities.

Alliance partners can procure NI hardware at discounted prices for internal use, demonstrations and proof-of-concept development, reducing the investment required to establish their own engineering labs.

NI has also established collaborative demonstration centres, including an automotive lab with Tata Elxsi, where customers can experience technologies such as hardware-in-the-loop testing and autonomous vehicle validation in live environments rather than through presentations.

In addition, the company's Engineering Innovation Centre in Bengaluru has been opened to partners and customers, allowing them to access NI platforms and validate solutions before deployment.

For Paramasivam, however, the company's biggest differentiator is not infrastructure but the ecosystem it has built over decades.

"It took us nearly 30 years to build this partner ecosystem. These are not just business relationships; they are relationships built on trust," he said.

The company evaluated nearly 100 organisations before building its current ecosystem of around 20 alliance partners, creating what Paramasivam believes is a significant competitive advantage.

As engineering systems continue to become more software-driven and multidisciplinary, NI expects the next phase of channel growth to come from building specialised partner capabilities that can deliver complete customer outcomes.