NEW DELHI: India loses an estimated 4.3 per cent of GDP each year to corrosion — around Rs 14.1 trillion — and adopting stronger corrosion‑management practices could improve GDP by around 1.5 per cent, or Rs 5 trillion, a report said on Monday.
The report from Nomura Research Institute (NRI) said rapid infrastructure expansion, urbanisation and manufacturing growth have increased exposure to corrosion.
It has raised maintenance costs and shortened asset life across sectors with infrastructure, transport, power and telecom being among the most affected.
The firm said the global average GDP loss from corrosion stood at 3.4 per cent.
The firm recommended shifting public infrastructure projects tendering to lifecycle cost analysis rather than focusing primarily on upfront construction costs.
It called for strengthening Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) rules to align with global durability practices, and incorporating exposure-based durability requirements.
It suggested introducing modern testing methods and improving inspection and maintenance protocols for long-life assets along with adopting corrosion-resistant materials in sectors exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including renewable energy infrastructure.
Mandating stronger corrosion protection for steel-intensive sectors such as telecom, transport and public infrastructure was another major recommendation.
Corrosion is an economic and policy issue, not just an engineering challenge, the report said, urging policymakers to prioritise asset durability as India scales up investment in roads, railways, housing and renewable energy.
The report identified the power generation and transmission sector as having the highest corrosion intensity, with losses estimated at 10.1 per cent of sectoral GDP.
Annual corrosion‑related losses in railways were estimated at $3 billion, with the report calling for long‑life protection systems beyond periodic repainting.
India has over 8.13 lakh telecom towers supporting 2.948 million base transceiver stations, making the telecom sector face high corrosion intensity.
The report also argued that engineering standards and maintenance practices need to evolve alongside India's expanding infrastructure base.
