DEVELOPMENT OF A EUROPEAN MARKET-ENTRY AND PARTNER QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK FOR INDUSTRIAL BATTERY SOLUTIONS: A MULTI-CRITERIA STUDY OF 327 PROSPECTIVE CHANNEL PARTNERS

Author

Krutika Vinod Dakhore, Dr. Abhijit Bobde

Abstract

 Manufacturers entering foreign markets through distributors, integrators and joint ventures face a screening problem: which of hundreds of candidate companies deserve scarce business-development effort, and in what order. This study develops and applies a multi-criteria partner qualification framework to support the European expansion of a large Indian manufacturer of lead-acid and lithium-ion industrial batteries (the focal organization). Conducted during a six-month internship with 1 Sarwat Advisory (15 May to 15 November 2026), the research profiled 327 companies across fifteen European markets and five partner categories using purposive sampling, company profiling and CRM-logged outreach. Candidates were scored on five weighted criteria: sector relevance, revenue band, geographic fit, application alignment, and technical and distribution capability. The resulting funnel moved 327 profiled companies to 240 contacted, 96 responses, 42 meetings and 24 shortlisted partners, a yield of 7.3%. France, the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland held 40.4% of the prospect base and the richest mix of partner types. Language barriers, a mismatch between manufacturing readiness and outreach timing, and slow internal approvals were the main frictions. The study proposes market prioritisation, language localisation, readiness-linked outreach sequencing and a fast-track approval rule. Findings are indicative rather than statistically validated.

Keywords

Market Entry Strategy, Partner Qualification, Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Channel Partners, Industrial Batteries, Energy Storage, European Union, B2B Business Development.

Full Text:

Download Paper PDF

References

[1] F. R. Root, Entry Strategies for International Markets, 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass, 1994.

[2] S. Hollensen, Global Marketing, 8th ed. Pearson, 2020.

[3] J. Johanson and J.-E. Vahlne, “The internationalization process of the firm: A model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments,” Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 23–32, 1977.

[4] J. Barney, “Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage,” Journal of Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 99–120, 1991.

[5] O. E. Williamson, The Economic Institutions of Capitalism: Firms, Markets, Relational Contracting. Free Press, 1985.

[6] J. M. Geringer, “Strategic determinants of partner selection criteria in international joint ventures,” Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 41–62, 1991.

[7] K. D. Brouthers and J.-F. Hennart, “Boundaries of the firm: Insights from international entry mode research,” Journal of Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 395–425, 2007.

[8] E. Triantaphyllou, Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods: A Comparative Study. Springer, 2000.

[9] C. Wan, C. M. P. Sousa, J. Lengler, and Q. Tan, “Entry mode choice: A meta-analysis of antecedents and outcomes,” Management International Review, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 193–246, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s11575-022-00499-6.

[10] H. Zhao, J. Ma, and J. Yang, “30 years of research on entry mode and performance relationship: A meta-analytical review,” Management International Review, vol. 57, no. 5, pp. 653–682, 2017.

[11] S. Chen, Q. He, and H. Xiao, “A study on cross-border e-commerce partner selection in B2B mode,” Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1–21, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10660-020-09403-6.

[12] Grand View Research, “Industrial batteries market size, share and trends analysis report, 2026 to 2033,” 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/industrial-batteries-market

[13] Mordor Intelligence, “Europe lead-acid battery market, size, share and 2031 growth trends,” 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/europe-lead-acid-battery-market

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons