DigiKey's India Bet: CEO Dave Doherty On Talent, Logistics, And The Long Tail

DigiKey CEO Dave Doherty joined EFY's senior journalist Dilin Anand in Bengaluru to unpack the company's India strategy, why India has become a top-priority engineering market, how a single mega-warehouse delivers speed at scale, and what the 'long tail' really means for electronics and embedded teams. The conversation also explores how DigiKey is empowering India's engineers, strengthening supply chains, and reshaping component sourcing and engineering education.

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Congratulations on receiving the Outstanding Professional Achievement award from WPI and the Spirit of Excellence award from WE United. How do these milestones resonate with you personally and globally?

Worcester Polytechnic is a small yet highly respected engineering university, and I am proud to be an alumnus of an institution that shaped me many years ago.

Even more meaningful is the recognition from WE United, which spotlights women in our industry. These awards represent a broader commitment to supporting people and helping individuals reach their full potential.

To give context for the Indian market, how do you see India's current contribution to the global landscape?

For DigiKey, India is one of the top ten countries we ship to. While this is important from a revenue perspective, more significant is that India ranks second globally in website traffic.

Where does India rank within Asia itself?

In Asia, India is our second-largest market after China and is growing rapidly. In terms of website traffic, India ranks first. We receive more enquiries and visits from India than from China or anywhere else in Asia.

We are seeing more locally designed consumer devices in India. In your view, which market segments are showing the most vigorous activity?

Industrial has always been a broad segment for DigiKey, and it remains our largest and most innovative segment. While attention often centres on AI hyperscalers, that space is dominated by a small number of major players, and our focus remains largely towards engineering support.

Industrial, by contrast, spans a much wider range of customers and applications.