As surging global demand for electronics fuels growth in industrial automation, robotics, EVs, and aerospace, distributors are reshaping strategies to maintain a competitive edge. In an exclusive interview, Tony Ng, DigiKey’s Vice President for APAC, shares with Vaishali—Editor of Semiconductor For You—how the company’s strategic investments in digital platforms, expansive inventory, and targeted regional expansion (especially in India) are fortifying its leadership in the dynamic semiconductor landscape.
How does DigiKey assess current global market growth, and what are the key factors driving its business momentum today?
DigiKey started 2026 with a bullish outlook. We anticipate continued growth in industrial automation, robotics, EVs, autonomous systems, the maker space and aerospace and defense. We see industrial automation leading the way and have invested our resources accordingly, with system upgrades and platform enhancements that will help customers research, shop for and receive products with ease and efficiency.
As always, we will continue to expand our line card with existing and new suppliers. Our proactive approach gives us confidence for the year ahead, and current market indicators bolster that optimism. Based on customer order patterns, our continued investments in inventory breadth and depth and our focus on utilizing data to inform our decisions, we are well-positioned for the rest of the year.
What are DigiKey’s core business plans and priorities for the next few years amid rapid changes in the electronics and semiconductor ecosystem?
We will continue to invest in more robust, predictive web search features, expand inventory levels and increase automation in the DigiKey warehouse. These investments help customers by making research, shopping and delivery easier and more efficient. As always, we will continue to expand our line card with existing and new suppliers.
Can you share details on any new initiatives or programs DigiKey has launched to strengthen its value proposition for customers and partners?
DigiKey has been making investments in AI, global logistics, ESG transparency, web experience, export compliance, automation, inventory depth and breadth, new product introductions, localization and price competitiveness – all of which have driven our increase in customer count and website traffic.
What major competitive challenges does DigiKey face in the global distribution market, and how does the company stay ahead of competitors?
The speed of innovation has triggered massive demand for new products and solutions. By partnering with franchised suppliers, DigiKey ensures it offers the most cutting-edge, sought-after products available on shelves to support new designs and product introductions. We also continuously source and invest in new franchise engagement to fulfill the needs of different market segments and regions. Utilizing AI and leveraging digital connectivity solutions are also part of our corporate strategies to ensure continuous enhancement of our services, capabilities, and productivity for our global customer base.
The DigiKey difference is evident in our inventory pipeline, in-stock product availability, competitive pricing, localization and customer service. Our continued investment in high-value customer experience sets us apart from others in the industry.
How do digital platforms, data, and customer insights help DigiKey remain agile and future-ready?
We got a lot of positive customer feedback, but a few in the last month really underscored DigiKey’s strengths as a partner. In all three cases, a customer was looking for a specific product that DigiKey had in stock, shipped internationally and arrived within three days. They all called out the benefit of receiving an authentic product that met their needs, quickly and with no issues. We take pride in being a reliable partner to customers with niche needs and ensuring they receive the products they need in a timely manner.
How does DigiKey view the India market today, and what role does India play in its overall global growth strategy?
India has long been an important market for DigiKey, and it continues to be a growing market for us. Our proactive strategies to tackle supply chain challenges are bolstered by robust supplier relationships and real-time inventory management. For our supplier partners, we’re offering a range of new options to simplify and streamline business growth. At DigiKey, we are committed to being a digital leader in our industry. We are continually exploring ways to expand our global business and enhance the customer experience, including within the Indian market. As part of this effort, we recently introduced a new checkout option for purchasing in INR for registered users on our DigiKey.in site. Plus, registered customers can now check out with our local logistics partner, AqTronics, making it easier and more efficient to do business with DigiKey India.
With the launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, what opportunities does DigiKey see, and how is the company preparing to support this ecosystem?
In the short term, it can generate another boost to local R&D activities on top of the already fast-growing area. In addition to component selection and recommendations, it could generate long-term domestic demand that requires local delivery to support product development in semiconductor equipment, factory automation, and multiple industrial segments, ranging from chemicals and gases to raw materials. These developments within domestic India could all become a growing factor in our continuously increasing franchises and stock availability.
In what ways is DigiKey supporting the development of engineering talent and technical skills in India?
DigiKey supports design engineers, manufacturers and supply chain professionals in several ways. First, through our industry-leading website, which offers several different buying experiences, like APIs, EDI, a punchout catalog, our parts list management tool, myLists and more. We also offer digital tools like our Scheme-It, CAD models, various content formats and our TechForum, where customers can ask questions of our community of technicians, engineers, and, in some cases, the manufacturer.
How does DigiKey ensure quality, authenticity, and trust across its supply chain, especially as the distribution market continues to expand?
DigiKey plays a critical role in helping designers and engineers navigate global safety and security standards by making the complex world of certifications more transparent and easier to incorporate into early design decisions. While compliance with these standards is ultimately achieved through the extensive certification work performed by component manufacturers, DigiKey ensures that this information is accessible, clear and actionable during the component selection process.
Our suppliers invest significant time and resources to validate that their products meet the necessary functional safety or cybersecurity requirements. DigiKey’s value lies in elevating that information so engineers can quickly determine whether a component aligns with the regulatory, safety and application-specific criteria of their mission-critical designs.
A major focus of this effort is the continuous improvement of how certification data is surfaced within our portfolio. This includes more precise product tagging, clearly listed compliance attributes and direct access to supporting documentation. When a part meets a particular safety integrity level or cybersecurity standard, we work to ensure that this information appears right alongside essential product details, such as datasheets and images, on the DigiKey website.
We view this as a process of “information digestion,” absorbing more detailed certification and qualification data from suppliers and presenting it in a format that reduces ambiguity and accelerates decision making. Today, DigiKey already provides a substantial amount of this information, but we recognize the growing need for deeper, more accurate and more intuitive visibility into certification status as engineering requirements evolve.
Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding both the breadth and usability of this data. By strengthening how safety and security certifications are communicated, DigiKey enables engineers to make confident, standards-aligned choices from the beginning of their design process, ultimately supporting safer, more reliable mission-critical systems.
What strategies is DigiKey adopting to reach a wider customer base in India, from startups and designers to large OEMs and manufacturers?
First, DigiKey recently announced the launch of our Indian subsidiary in Bengaluru. DigiKey India operates a Global Capability Center (GCC) that serves as a technology innovation and collaboration hub for the company’s global operations, supporting the organization in keeping pace with the demands of its suppliers and customers for services and innovation in India and worldwide.
Second, DigiKey’s partnership with nearly 3,000 global suppliers and its portfolio of more than 17.5 million components give Indian customers unparalleled visibility and access to the latest technologies across semiconductors, power, connectivity and automation. We also help designers quickly evaluate options, compare specifications and make informed choices without being locked into a single vendor or constrained by limited local availability.
For DigiKey, reaching a wider customer base in India means we are helping Indian customers reduce friction through their entire product lifecycle – from concept, design and deployment, through maintenance, repair and ideating for the next generation. Traditional distributors tend to focus on availability and transactional fulfillment, but at DigiKey, we take pride in our support role that helps enable designs throughout the lifecycle. DigiKey also provides a high level of operational resilience through fast fulfillment, small-lot availability, transparent lead times and a wide breadth of products.