With nerves of steel

LUDHIANA: When he started Shekhar Steel Trading Company in 1994 after moving to Ludhiana from Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, Brijesh Tiwari (46) invested Rs 25,000 and today the annual turn over of his firm is Rs 12 crore.
Brijesh, who comes from a family of farmers said that after completing his graduation in 1984, he appeared for competitive examinations but, could notsucceed.He then visited his uncle R N Tiwari in Ahemdabad, Gujarat in 1993.Brijesh assisted his uncle, who was a steel trader, for a year. He later came to Ludhiana and floated his own steel trading venture after a detailed research in the city. “On December 12, 1994 I registered my firm and put all my effort to promote steel trading,” Tiwari added.
His initial days in the industrial hub were very straining. He spent a monthat the Prince hostel before renting a room in Sham Nagar in the city. Tiwari expressed his gratitude to financial institutions and his friends who helped him put his business on track in this city.
He said that most of the material purchased for trading is imported from Madagascar, Mauritius, Middle East, South Africa and United States of America (USA) and is mostly distributed in Ludhiana, Mandi, Gobindgarh and a few cities of Himachal Pradesh. “My objective is to expand the business to take the turn over to Rs 15 crore in the years to come,” Tiwari added.
Literature interests me and and I mostly read Hindi literature of Munshi Premchand and Nirala. Amrita Pritam’s Revenue Stamp (Rasidi Ticket) is my favourite novel,” he shared. He expressed his repugnance towards politics and said that he does not wish to be a part of the same.
A resident of Pushp Vihar at Ferozepur, Tiwari said that the year 1999 has been a memorable one for him, as he could built his own house in the city and the following year he was blessed with twins. He is now a father of two daughters and a son. “My wife, Sudha too stands by me in every adverse condition and has supported me a lot in settling my venture in this city,” he said.
Tiwari cited that he is connected to his roots even now and some of his relatives are still in his birth place Faizabad, whom he frequently visits.