The Singhala Metals furniture store at Jamshedpur. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Sept. 23: It couldn’t get easier than this. If one is looking for sleek wrought iron furniture, all one needs to do is scroll and select.

Singhala Metals Private Limited is the first furniture company in the steel city to has launched its website www.singhala.in. Here, one can go through an online catalogue of items, post queries regarding wrought iron furniture and even register with his/her e-mail address to avail of newsletters and special offers.

Also, there is an exchange offer at the store, where one can exchange any old piece of furniture with wrought iron furniture. “The site is updated regularly and we respond to everyone who registers their e-mail address with us,” says owner Gaurav Singhala.

The company even has a customer care number for their customers’ queries, complaints and suggestions.

Gaurav’s father, Subhash Singhala, had started the business in the 70s. He was involved in manufacturing parts for the ancillary units of Tata Steel and Tata Motors. Down the years he set up his own factory in the Adityapur Industrial Area (AIA) and began venturing into fabrication work that included ornamental gates and railings.

Singhala then decided to shift his business towards their family business of wrought iron and in the year 2000, Singhala Metals Private Limited started making wrought iron furniture in Jamshedpur. In fact, it is the only firm in the Jamshedpur to manufacture wrought iron furniture.

Initially, the response was not as good as it took time to train the labours in the particular job. It was also difficult to convince customers on the advantages of wrought iron furniture over wooden furniture.

Today, wrought iron is one of the most sort after item at homes and even clubs and restaurants. The company has supplied furniture to Beldih Club, Telco Club and G-Town Club.

Gaurav and his wife, design all the furniture themselves. The designs and binding are all done manually by skilled labourers before they are ready to hit the showrooms. “The designs are inspired from Spanish architecture and at times a local touch is added according to the demand of the customers,” says Gaurav.

Recently, the Singhalas shifted their showroom to Bhatia lane in Bistupur and another exclusive showroom was inaugurated at Suraj Tower in Sakchi. The newly-opened showroom displays a fresh stock.