Secure hybrid infrastructure will drive the most consistent partner revenue as AI scales, says Nutanix channel head

As enterprises adopt container-first AI environments, partners are moving from infrastructure deployment to platform architecture, security and governance.

As enterprises accelerate AI adoption, they are reassessing whether existing infrastructure can support the scale and security demands of AI workloads. Running AI models requires significant data processing and the ability to operate across on-premises and cloud environments, pushing companies to prioritise modern hybrid infrastructure architectures.

“Over the next two years, AI applications will continue to attract strong interest, but the most consistent revenue opportunity for partners is likely to come from building the secure hybrid infrastructure that supports these workloads,” Harsh Vaishnav, senior director and head of channels, India, ASEAN and Hong Kong at Nutanix, told CRN India.

Organisations are in the early stages of preparing environments for AI, and infrastructure readiness remains a key challenge, said Vaishnav.

As enterprises scale AI initiatives, they will need modern platforms that can support data-intensive workloads while maintaining security and operational consistency.

He added that partners that focus on helping organisations build flexible, secure hybrid environments will be well-positioned for sustained growth, as these platforms form the foundation on which AI applications will continue to evolve.

AI pushing container-based infrastructure in India

Indian enterprises are adopting container-based architectures as they modernise infrastructure to support AI workloads.

According to the 2026 Enterprise Cloud Index study by Nutanix, 97 percent of IT executives in India expect application containerisation to increase over the next three years, with 87 percent saying AI is accelerating container adoption.

Instead of focusing purely on deploying hardware and infrastructure, Vaishnav said partners are helping enterprises design and implement modern application environments that support AI at scale.

This includes building portable, container-based platforms and enabling consistent operations across on-premises and cloud environments.

Partners that can support this transition will play a strategic role in enterprise infrastructure transformation, he added.

Beyond infrastructure modernisation, security concerns are emerging as a major factor behind container adoption in India.

Security and governance expanding partner roles

While infrastructure upgrades remain important, the largest opportunity lies in security integration and governance.

According to Vaishnav, enterprises are seeking partners to help deploy container platforms that provide strong data protection, policy controls, and operational visibility across hybrid environments.

Partners that can combine infrastructure expertise with security and compliance capabilities will be well-positioned to support long-term enterprise transformation initiatives, Vaishnav added.

This comes at a time when the rise of “shadow AI,” where employees deploy artificial intelligence tools outside official IT oversight, is becoming a concern for enterprises.

The report shows 96 percent of IT leaders believe the use of AI tools and agents outside official oversight creates business risk, and 73 percent reports encountering AI applications being implemented by non-IT teams.

This is creating strong demand for structured and governed approaches to AI adoption, where channel partners have an important role to play.

This includes improving visibility into AI workloads, defining policies for secure usage, and creating standardised deployment environments, Vaishnav said.

He added that the challenge is often compounded by organisational silos, with 85 percent of Indian executives saying that gaps between business units and IT hinder technology execution.