Country losing 2-3 per cent of GDP every year due to corrosion: Top metallurgical engineer

Jamshedpur: The director of CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur, Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury, on Thursday claimed that the country was losing 2-3 per cent of GDP every year due to corrosion. Addressing the inaugural function of a two-day international conference on corrosion and coatings, he said, "Corrosion is a silent enemy and we lose more than 2-3 per cent of the GDP every year because of it."

He appealed to scientists, engineers and technologists to work as a team to combat corrosion.

The director emphasised that steel plays an important role in advancing the nation, and "protection of steel structures from corrosion needs immediate attention."


In his address, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) executive director A K Manohor pointed out how corrosion was ruining the entire structure of power plants.

"NTPC has been working in collaboration with scientists, engineers, and academics through various focused consortiums to address the issue," he said.

More than 100 delegates and speakers from 34 reputed institutes from different parts of the country and abroad (hybrid mode) participated in the conference.

The event was organised by the Indian Institute of Metals, Jamshedpur Chapter, in association with Tata Steel Ltd., CSIR-NML Jamshedpur, and the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur.

The conference, which provided a unique platform for researchers, engineers, academia, and industry experts to discuss the challenges and solutions surrounding corrosion and coatings, focused on advances in coatings and high-temperature corrosion in industries such as oil and gas, chemical, nuclear and thermal power plants, construction, and mobility.