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MITSUMI’s Journey from Nairobi to Global Tech Leadership: Exclusive Interview With Jagat Shah, Chairman and CEO
Global IT distribution is undergoing a massive transformation driven by AI, cloud adoption, and digital infrastructure demands. Companies worldwide are racing to stay relevant in a hyper-competitive landscape.
In this exclusive conversation, Jagat Shah, Chairman and CEO of MITSUMI Group, reflects on the company’s remarkable transformation from a modest IT reseller in Kenya to a multi-vertical distribution powerhouse spanning 36 countries.
With strategic expansions, bold investments in logistics and emerging technologies, and a deep commitment to local market immersion, MITSUMI has redefined what it means to be a technology enabler in today’s fast-evolving global landscape. Jagat Shah shares the pivotal milestones, competitive edge, and future-forward vision that continue to shape MITSUMI’s journey.
MITSUMI has grown from an IT retailer in Kenya to a leading multi-vertical distributor across 36 countries. What have been the most defining milestones in this journey, and what do you see as the company’s biggest differentiator in a highly competitive global market?
MITSUMI’s journey began in 1998 in Kenya, as a computer reseller under the name Mitsumi Computer Garage Ltd., with my brother and co-founder, Mitesh Shah. In 2003, we expanded to Dubai, UAE, laying the foundation for MITSUMI with a mission to deliver cost-effective technologies to the region. A defining moment came in 2004, when we expanded our channel presence across East Africa by setting up local offices and teams, even as most of our peers believed in operating from a single hub.
Another turning point was the launch of our 70,000+ sq. ft. central logistics hub in Jebel Ali in 2022, which enabled us to serve 36 countries with speed, consistency, and efficiency. Most recently, in 2025, we expanded the hub to 1,00,000 sq. ft. - strengthening our position as a multi-vertical distributor and technology enabler across MEA.
Additionally, in 2022, we also entered into the Cloud, AI, and Value Distribution verticals, evolving from pure volume distribution. This enabled us to secure preferred partner status with top global vendors. This year, we were fortunate to open SADC offices, becoming a leading IT, telco, and enterprise solutions provider in MEA.
What sets us apart from our competition is that we don’t just distribute products; we see ourselves as comprehensive enablers of technology, helping businesses scale themselves, operate efficiently, and maximise value through innovative solutions. We pride ourselves on maintaining a strong in-country presence across all 30+ countries where we operate, conducting all our transactions in local currency and using local credit.
With a strong portfolio spanning IT distribution, AI, cloud, and even non-tech ventures like business parks and hospitality, how does MITSUMI maintain balance and ensure value creation across such diverse business verticals?
We have a fundamental belief system that systematically drives value creation, balancing our diverse business verticals to focus on immersion. We believe in prioritizing local expertise, understanding local culture, and ensuring that the partner ecosystems we build are sustainable.
This includes setting up regional headquarters that can serve multiple countries while continuing to build stable proximity to both our customers and partners, which, in turn, ensures effective service delivery and market adaptability. All our verticals are designed to be self-sustaining, receiving appropriate investment as required.
The UAE and MENA region are fast emerging as global technology hubs. How is MITSUMI aligning with this momentum, and what role do you see the company playing in strengthening the region’s digital economy?
MITSUMI Distribution is playing a pivotal role in fuelling innovation ecosystems, supporting SMEs, and enabling the next phase of transformative growth. Our strategic focus includes digital transformation leadership, sustainable technology solutions, and building resilient supply chains that support the UAE and MENA regions’ continued technological advancement while maintaining strong profitability and market leadership positions.
As mentioned before, our expansive logistics facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai, serves as a hub for MENA distribution, located in a tactically imperative region, in addition to its sheer size. In Kenya, we have partnered with Safaricom M-Pesa, and in the UAE, we partnered with Telr Payment Gateway. We have made enterprise-grade tools available to SMEs across the nation and have done our best to leverage digital technology to optimize our processes fully.
With our extensive platform development, calculated incorporation of technology, and our fostering of MENA’s innovation ecosystems, MITSUMI has definitely made a place for itself in the region’s digital economy, now and in the future.
The global IT distribution landscape is being reshaped by AI, cybersecurity, and cloud adoption. From your vantage point, what trends are driving the most disruption, and how should distributors evolve to stay relevant?
The global IT industry is experiencing a significant transformation driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, and sustainability requirements, with AI, automation, and cloud computing leading the evolution. The global IT distribution market stood at USD 452 billion in 2024, with the top 15 distributors commanding 61% of the market and growing by 3.8% year-on-year despite challenging economic conditions.
AI and automation will become central to operations—enabling smarter supply chains, predictive inventory management, and improved customer engagement. The surge in cloud adoption and data centre expansion, accelerated by generative AI and compute-intensive workloads, will open new opportunities for distributors to deliver scalable infrastructure solutions. Cybersecurity will remain a top priority, as evolving digital threats demand end-to-end, integrated security offerings.
I believe sustainability and green tech will move from being optional to becoming business-critical, with distributors expected to build eco-friendly supply chains and champion responsible technology adoption. Finally, ecosystem-driven models—where partnerships, value-added services, and enablement programs are as important as product distribution—will define the leaders in this sector.
At MITSUMI, we are closely aligning with these trends not only to meet market demand but also to help shape the future of distribution itself.
With technology cycles shortening and demand shifting rapidly, what do you see as the future of IT distribution over the next decade, and how should players like MITSUMI adapt to capture long-term growth opportunities?
The biggest adaptation in the next decade will have to be the shift from product-centric models to dedicated technology enablement platforms. SKU-based distribution will soon become outdated as embedded technological advancements such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and quantum computing become the norm.
We at MITSUMI look forward to becoming a full-service digital distribution platform, offering integrated vertical-market solutions that ease regional entry for global brands. Maintaining entire innovative technological ecosystems in distribution is integral to our vision, while building sustainable business models aligned with profit.
