In this exclusive interaction, Anant Deshpande, Regional VP of DigiCert, discusses the company’s strategic roadmap for India as the nation’s digital economy reaches unprecedented scale. He explores the complexities of securing a vast and diverse technological landscape and outlines the unique challenges of the Indian market. Deshpande highlights Digicert’s role as a global leader in digital trust and emphasizes the critical transition toward “Intelligent Trust” in an era increasingly defined by AI and quantum computing.
Strategic Priorities for India (2026-2028)
IT Voice– As you establish a deeper presence in India, what are your primary objectives for the market over the next two to three years?
Anant Deshpande- Our primary objective is to be the digital trust partner of choice for India. To ensure that every interaction, every transaction, is secured digitally using the digital trust infrastructure. That really is our key priority—to ensure that we bring the whole capabilities of DigiCert for our customers in India to exploit and consolidate on the leadership position that we have in the market.
Navigating India’s Unique Cybersecurity Landscape
IT Voice– Given your experience across various Asian markets, what do you perceive as the unique cybersecurity challenges currently facing India?
Anant Deshpande- India is unique because it has consistently “leapfrogged” multiple digital trends, becoming a global leader in technology adoption. However, this rapid growth results in exceptionally complex environments. The challenge for Indian enterprises is balancing aggressive innovation with operational excellence. We address this specific need through our DigiCert ONE platform, which provides the agility to innovate without compromising security.
Empowering the Partner Ecosystem
IT Voice– System integrators and channel partners are pivotal in the Indian IT sector. What is your strategy for engaging these key stakeholders?
Anant Deshpande- Our partners are a critical lever for our operations in India. Our ecosystem is diverse, comprising traditional PKI/SSL partners, global system integrators managing turnkey projects, and cloud service providers.
Our current focus is on comprehensive enablement. We are implementing specialized service delivery and managed services programs. This ensures our partners are not only equipped with the latest technical knowledge but can also operate their businesses profitably while delivering joint value to our customers.
The Future: Intelligent Trust, AI, and Quantum
IT Voice– As we look toward the remainder of 2026, what message would you like to share with the Indian IT industry?
Anant Deshpande-I believe that digital trust—which is currently evolving toward intelligent trust and being further accelerated by trends such as AI and quantum computing—is of paramount importance. It is essential to view digital trust as a foundational enabler for any IT or cybersecurity initiative, as it serves as the fundamental architecture that integrates the entire IT ecosystem. Consequently, when planning the deployment of a new IT project or application, the most effective starting point is the digital trust layer. Our role is to facilitate that process; that would be my primary message.
