US tech firm Datadog sets up Bengaluru office to drive Asia-Pacific expansion: Vice president Rob Thorne

NEW YORK: Bengaluru is fast becoming a cornerstone of Datadog’s global operations, with the cloud monitoring and security firm significantly ramping up its presence in India. In an interview with The Times of India on the sidelines of the DASH 2025 conference in New York, Rob Thorne, vice president for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), said the city now houses the company’s new India headquarters in Bengaluru and a rapidly growing team of close to 100 professionals.

Datadog already has a strong global presence with key offices in New York, Paris, Dublin, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Singapore, Japan, Australia—and Asia‑Pacific hubs like Singapore and Japan .

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How important is the Indian market to Datadog’s global and APJ operations? India plays a critical role, not just within APJ but globally. Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen unprecedented customer demand. We’ve grown our local team significantly and established a new headquarters in Bengaluru.

The silicon city is now a major strategic hub for us.What kind of Indian companies are adopting Datadog’s solutions?Adoption is broad-based. We’re seeing uptake from startups, mid-sized firms, and large enterprises. While digital-native businesses lead in adoption, we’re also working with companies in traditional sectors—banking, finance, retail, manufacturing, and services.Can you name some of the Indian customers you work with? While we can’t name all due to confidentiality, one of India’s top two food delivery platforms is a major client.

They depend on Datadog to maintain uptime and performance, particularly during peak periods. Jubilant Foodeorks, which runs Domino’s Pizza in India, also uses our platform to consolidate monitoring tools and accelerate issue resolution.Is Datadog planning further expansion in India?Definitely. Just two years ago, we had one seller in India. Today, we have over 40 professionals across sales and support functions.

We’ve already invested in new office space in Bengaluru and are preparing for further expansion as demand grows.How is the company navigating India’s data privacy and localisation regulations?Data residency requirements in sectors like public services and banking pose challenges. We understand this is a priority for the market and are actively exploring ways to meet local compliance standards.What role does Indian tech talent play in Datadog’s strategy?Indian talent is fundamental to our growth.

We’re not just building sales teams in Bengaluru but also pre-sales, post-sales, and customer support. Though we haven’t moved core engineering functions here yet, the talent pipeline is strong, and we’re optimistic about future possibilities.Where do you see the biggest growth areas for Datadog in India?Digital-native companies are our biggest opportunity. As they grow and mature, they tend to expand their use of our observability and security tools.

We aim to support them through that journey.How does India fit into Datadog’s AI strategy? India is highly receptive to cutting-edge tech. Our AI-enhanced observability solutions are gaining traction here. Customers are focused on boosting efficiency and user experience, and our tools—from GPU-level monitoring to end-user analytics—fit well with India’s tech-forward momentum.What’s your approach to cybersecurity in the Indian market?Security is integral to our platform. Globally, over 7,500 customers use our security suite. In India, we’re helping businesses integrate devops and security to improve threat response. Our unified approach covers posture management, detection, and resolution, ensuring agility and resilience.