A One-day programme titled "Workshop with Fabricators -A Joint Initiative of Rural Marketing and MRO (Procurement) " was organized on 25th February 2003 at Guwahati.

The objective of organizing this workshop was to Create awareness about the feasibility of the steel intensive applications in the Rural Sector, Developing the fabricator as franchisees of Tata Steel Rural Marketing for manufacture and sale of the steel intensive products in Rural Markets and Roles & responsibilities of the fabricators as franchisee partners

A large number of steel fabricators from different parts of Assam were invited to the workshop which was inaugurated by Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad, Chief, Construction Solutions, Tata Steel who also briefed on the advantages of steel construction over other materials.

During the Workshop special emphasis was given on promotion of steel application in the rural areas. The per capita steel consumption in rural India is only 0.8 kg per year compared to over 20 kg. Per year in China, while the average steel consumption in India is 24 kg. Per person per year compared to more than 100 kg. per person per year in China. In order to promote new applications of steel in our villages, the Rural Marketing division of Tata Steel is developing a number of Fabricators in different parts of country. The Fabricators will procure the orders, manufacture and sale the steel intensive end products in the rural areas of their own. Tata Steel will only provide the promotional support to the fabricators for promoting the usage of steel intensive end products in the rural markets.

At the workshop Mr.S.K.Seal, Chief, Rural Marketing , Mr.M.K Sanyal, Head, Vendor Management & IT, MRO (P), Mr. A.P.Prasad, Manager (Rural Marketing) and Mr. K.D. Avadhani Manager (Rural Marketing),all from Tata Steel deliberated on the subject .

All the participants showed keen interest and were very enthusiastic about the new concepts developed by Tata Steel.