Essar Steel Hypermart has opened its first outlet in Orissa in the steel city of Rourkela.

The release said that “The move is in line with Essar Steel’s philosophy of making customized steel products available to end users in geographies that have high steel consumption.”

Mr Vikram Amin director sales & marketing of Essar Steel said “It is a win-win situation for everybody, especially SMEs. Customers will have direct access to our products without the intervention of intermediaries, or restrictive terms and conditions. Essar Hypermart offers complete transparency to its customers.”

A pioneering initiative of Essar Steel that was first launched in 2006, there are 65 Steel Hypermarts across the country. With a strong pan-India presence, they cater to a range of customers from small manufacturers, local fabricators and general engineering firms to large corporations and construction companies. Each hypermart offers a comprehensive range of flat and long steel products for a variety of applications.

Sales from the Essar Hypermart currently account for 20% of Essar Steel’s annual revenues.

The company plans to expand its distribution network by opening many more outlets through the franchisee route.