Q. Kindly give your prognosis of the non-ferrous metal industry in India.

The Indian non-ferrous metal industry is at a critical juncture with infrastructure-led growth of the economy skyrocketing the demand. While the demand-supply varies, there are serious issues like delay in grant of clearances, lack of technology adaptation etc. This is leading to delay in mining of raw ore. In spite of the above mentioned challenges, aluminium, zinc and copper production has been in line with growth in demand, while on the other hand nickel and lead have lower supplies than demand posing threat to domestic consumers. It is very important for both consumers and suppliers to be careful, watch market dynamics and take decisions accordingly.

Q. How do you think the industry is expected to grow in medium term in the country?

I feel this sector plays a vital role in development of any nation since most of the metals are used in wide range of key industries including engineering, housing, electrical and electronics, infrastructure, automobile and automobile components, packaging etc. Considering the plans and proposals put forward by Modi government, we are very positive about the trend and expect the industry’s to grow by XXX per cent year-on-year in next 3 to 5 years.

Q. What are your views about the trading in the industry? What are the major issues and challenges that the companies face in metal trading in the country?

Trading is not the same what it used to be a few decades ago. The global scenario of trading has changed not only for metal industry but across all the industries. Key technology has been introduced—say for instance, emails and now whatsapp. It is not only being used by college kids, it’s also used by me or many of the manufacturer/traders I know. It has changed the way we inspect the material as well as sending of invoices or PDF document. What many traders in India are still lacking is greater adaptation of technology. With new online market places being introduced and a sharp growth in the number of smart gadgets, I am confident that most of the Indian traders especially in metal industry will soon be ready to increase their business efficiency & profits by adapting digital platforms.

Q. Please give your comments on the growing relevance of e-commerce in India.

E-commerce in India is a booming industry but is still at its nascent stage. With the likes of flipkart and amazon investing heavily, I feel that there is no turning back. People have started buying more and more retail and household items online for convenience and cheaper pricing.

Q. SMEs account for a major part of the metal industry in India? How can these benefit from the e-commerce in the metal industry?

Previously, most of the metal traders had to rely on physical means of marketing their products. As a matter fact, many reputed customers would have to attend many seminars and exhibitions to find a right supplier. With the advent of some generic marketplaces which deal in anything and everything on earth, matchmaking in B2B has taken a new turn.

These services are no doubt good but irrelevant to metal industries mainly due to clutter and bias towards the industry. The industry needs a more focussed player in the metals B2B sphere, to make the marketplace model more focused and exclusive for metal traders, helping the SMEs get a bang for their buck. Getting on the digital platforms would help SMEs think global and increase reach, generate more leads and increase conversion rate.

Q. What are your views about bringing e-commerce to metal trading sector by Mtlexs?

That is where the future is! The younger generation in the trade of non ferrous metals is more tech savvy then their previous generation. This generation loves speed and uses technology at its best for their business. Enabling digitalisation and ecommerce in metal trading would make the trade more transparent and speedy. While many traders might feel insecure about e-commerce being introduced in metal trading, they need not worry since they would also benefit from the digitalisation since their reach would increase drastically helping them take their business to the next level.