Corrosion costs India’s infrastructure ₹1.42 lakh crore a year: Report

New Delhi: Corrosion is costing India's infrastructure sector an estimated ₹1.42 lakh crore every year, but better prevention and protection measures could potentially save up to ₹49,580 crore annually, said an industry report.

The CII-NRI Report on the economic impact of corrosion, presented at the CII Annual Infrastructure Summit 2026 on Wednesday, identified infrastructure as the sector with the largest absolute corrosion cost among the sectors examined. "The ₹1.42 lakh crore annual cost is equivalent to about 2.9% of the sector's GDP, while the maximum potential saving of ₹49,580 crore represents about 1.02% of infrastructure-sector GDP," it said.

The report suggested introducing corrosion-protection requirements based on environmental exposure, particularly for coastal, high-humidity and other aggressive environments, similar to the US and Japan, saying Indian regulations often recognise such measures but leave their adoption as an option. The report also called for infrastructure owners and policymakers to look beyond the initial price of a material or protection system.