NowPurchase Revolutionizes Metal Manufacturing with AI-Powered Procurement and Data Intelligence

Everything around us, from the buildings we inhabit to the vehicles we drive, is built on a foundation of metal. Yet, while consumer tech has made ordering a meal as easy as a swipe, the procurement of raw materials for the multibillion-dollar metal manufacturing industry remained stuck in the dark ages of manual calls, fragmented traders, and total lack of price transparency.

Enter Naman Shah, Founder of NowPurchase. An alumnus of the National University of Singapore, Shah returned to India with a mission to bring consumer-grade convenience to the industrial world. By building a vertical procurement platform powered by a proprietary "Metal Cloud" and a ubiquitous WhatsApp bot, NowPurchase is helping foundries and steel companies optimize their raw material sourcing while keeping manufacturing costs at an all-time low.

From managing family manufacturing roots to building a tech ecosystem that has processed transactions across 1,000+ pin codes, Shah’s journey is a blueprint for the "Make in India" digital transformation.

The Problem: The Fragmented Reality of Foundry Procurement

Metal manufacturing is a technical, high-stakes game. For a foundry to be efficient, it needs a constant, reliable stream of scrap metal, ferroalloys, and additives. However, before NowPurchase, this supply chain was dominated by a "cartel" of local traders and intermediaries who often concealed market trends to protect their margins.

"Most of these categories were dominated by different kinds of intermediaries... who would be dealing in specific skus," Shah explains. "A lot of times the market volatility was concealed... people would try to take advantage of this to make an extra profit." This lack of transparency, combined with unorganized metal scrap treated like "garbage," created a massive hurdle for growth.

The Solution: The "Metal Cloud" and WhatsApp Automation

NowPurchase acts as a full-stack procurement partner. Instead of building a complex app that factory workers might ignore, Shah leveraged WhatsApp as the primary medium. Their WhatsApp bot provides instant price discovery and stock availability to any stakeholder, regardless of whether they are a current customer.

"We provide a whatsapp bot which makes a price discovery and stock discovery something very transparent," says Shah. Beyond the bot, the Metal Cloud software provides foundries with deep manufacturing insights, helping them understand exactly how to use the materials they procure to maximize efficiency.

Implementation: The Pivot to Vertical Depth

NowPurchase wasn't always this focused. Initially, it was a horizontal marketplace selling fasteners, tools, and bearings—over 40,000 SKUs. However, Shah realized that to build a truly defensible moat, he had to go deep, not broad. 18 months ago, he shut down the e-commerce marketplace and pivoted to core raw materials for specific industries.

"We literally changed everything possible in the business except that it's still a b2b procurement business," Shah reflects. By focusing on "Share of Purchase Wallet," the platform moved from being a replaceable vendor to an essential node in the manufacturer's supply chain. This vertical depth allowed them to double their average order value (AOV) in just six months.

The Human Side: Leading with Energy and No-Agenda Chats

Entrepreneurship can be a drain on energy, and Shah is candid about the "human" aspect of losing focus. His solution? Energy Transfer. "Go back and start talking to team members who are still having that energy... that energy again starts rubbing off of you."

He also blocks off two to three hours every week for "no agenda" conversations with people outside his immediate circle—leads from LinkedIn or friends of friends. These serendipitous chats often result in new talent pipelines or supply chain leads, proving that not every meeting needs a slide deck to be valuable.

Future Vision: Beyond the Plateau

As India adds millions of tons of steel capacity year-on-year, NowPurchase is positioning itself to be the digital backbone of this growth. By organizing the "garbage" of scrap metal and providing AI-driven procurement, Shah is helping Indian foundries compete on a global stage. The goal is to move from being an "online broker" to a "critical partner" that manufacturers can't afford to replace.

Key Takeaways for B2B Founders

• Vertical over Horizontal: In B2B, industry-specific challenges require industry-specific solutions. Depth creates more value than breadth.
• Don't Optimize Too Early: Don't spend energy cutting delivery costs by 10 basis points when your revenue is low. Optimize only when you hit meaningful scale.
• Bookkeeping is Critical: In transactional businesses, keep your finances in order from Day 1. It balloons into a massive problem if ignored.
• Build a Talent Pipeline, Not Just Sales: Your growth is limited by your people. Dedicate time to hire for culture and "why" before "what."

With a 2X growth in average order values and a rapidly expanding footprint, NowPurchase is proving that even the heaviest industries can be lightened with the right technology. For Naman Shah, the journey is about more than just selling metal—it's about creating a transparent, efficient future for Indian manufacturing.