How Hashtagsteel Took Steel Buying Online And Expanded Across South India

From 200 registered buyers in the first four months to 7000 in just 3 years. 

Steel procurement can sometimes feel harder than the steel itself. The technical side is usually clear. Buyers know the grade, dimensions, quantity, and specifications they need. The harder part starts after that. 

Finding the right supplier through calls. Getting a quote. Checking material availability. Comparing brands. Verifying certifications. Following up on delivery. Making sure the material actually reaches the site on time. 
 

One steel buyer recently summed up the frustration on Reddit: 

“Steel procurement feels harder than the actual metallurgy sometimes.” 

The buyer was describing the experience of sourcing steel, particularly flats, and the constant back-and-forth with suppliers. 
“Grades and specs are one thing but then you get into supplier back and forth, inconsistent certs, random delays etc. Feels like half the job is just chasing clarity.” 

One response to the post was even more telling: 

 “Thats just part of life unless you are with the big account for those steel mills.” 

For Hashtagsteel, that is precisely the problem. Why should buying steel have to depend on how many calls you can make, how many suppliers you know, or how large your account is? 
 

Turning a traditional buying process into a digital one 

Before Hashtagsteel, many steel buyers had a familiar routine. Make call after call until you find the product. Buy from a limited set of brands or suppliers you already know. Follow up repeatedly until the material reaches the site. 

And when delivery is delayed? Start calling again. 

Hashtagsteel saw an opportunity to change that process. The idea was simple: make buying steel as straightforward as buying something online. 

Hashtagsteel was launched on September 5, 2023, as India's first dedicated online steel procurement platform. 
The platform was built around a few principles: 

• Buyers shouldn't need to make calls just to procure steel. 
• Buyers should have access to multiple products and brands. 
• Sellers should be verified. 
• Payments should be secure. 
• Delivery should be reliable. 

The platform started with 15+ product categories and 5,000+ SKUs, varying across form, grade, thickness, width, length, and brands. More importantly, Hashtagsteel offered live prices, which no platform in India could achieve.  

But there was an obvious obstacle. Steel isn't an ordinary online purchase. A procurement decision can run into thousands, lakhs, or even crores of rupees. Why would a buyer trust a new online platform with that kind of purchase? 

To know more please - Why Trust Hashtagsteel?
 

The first 100 buyers mattered more than the first 1,000 likes 

Hashtagsteel initially focused on Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu. 

The launch did not come with the kind of attention usually associated with a new consumer technology product. There wasn't a huge launch moment. No Michael Jackson-sized album release. No overnight explosion of attention.  

Hashtagsteel got something more useful instead: our first customers. 

More than 100 buyers used Hashtagsteel during its early stage. For a startup entering an industry where offline procurement had dominated for decades, those first customers mattered. 

They were not simply transactions. They were proof that buyers were willing to try a different way of purchasing steel. The company decided to focus on service and customer satisfaction rather than chase numbers immediately. 

And slowly, something began to happen. People started talking about the platform.

The growth didn't start with advertising 

Hashtagsteel began participating in industry exhibitions and meeting steel professionals across the region. Those interactions gave the company something advertising couldn't easily buy: direct feedback from the people actually buying steel. 

Hashtagsteel grew through word of mouth beyond advertising. That became an important part of its growth. The platform's name began spreading beyond its original Chennai market. Eventually, the company started expanding. 

From Tamil Nadu to all of South India

Hashtagsteel's first market was Tamil Nadu. In the second half of its second year, the company expanded into Karnataka and Kerala. Before completing its third year, it launched in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

That meant Hashtagsteel was now serving buyers across all five South Indian states: 

Tamil Nadu. Karnataka. Kerala. Andhra Pradesh. Telangana. 

The expansion also brought external recognition. In its second year, Hashtagsteel was recognised at the Mirchi Business Class Awards for Excellence in Steel Commerce. For the company, the recognition came as it was still building a category that many steel buyers had never experienced before. 
 

The order numbers started changing 

The company's order history shows how quickly adoption accelerated. In the final four months of 2023, Hashtagsteel recorded 34 orders. In 2024, that grew to 85. In 2025, orders jumped to 426. And in 2026, the platform has already recorded nearly 250 orders, with half of the year still underway. 

Together, that adds up to nearly 800 orders in roughly three years, representing approximately 8,700 tonnes of steel ordered through the platform. 

But there is another number Hashtagsteel considers particularly important. Around 90% of its total orders have come organically. That means the majority of its growth has not come from simply buying advertising and pushing customers toward the platform. It has come from buyers discovering Hashtagsteel, using it and recommending it. 

From a procurement platform to a South India-wide network 

Three years ago, Hashtagsteel started with a simple question: Would steel buyers actually buy online? 

The first 34 orders gave us an answer. Nearly three years and five states later, the experiment has grown to around 800 orders and 8,700+ tonnes of steel, with 90% of those orders coming organically. 

But the bigger proof isn't in the numbers alone. It is in the behaviour they represent. Steel buyers are still buying the same material for the same projects. What is changing is the way they discover prices, compare options, place orders, and manage procurement. 

Less calling. Less chasing. More visibility. More control. That may be the real shift Hashtagsteel set out to create - not changing what buyers purchase but changing how they purchase it. 

After three years, that shift is no longer an experiment. It is becoming the new way to buy steel.