Galvanizing Industry in India—Past, Present & Future

Materials degradation due to corrosion is a global issue that disrupts infrastructure, impacting the overall economy. India loses as much as 3-4% of its GDP every year on the account of corrosion. Maintenance is expensive, creates additional logistical problems and disrupts regular activities. India has a long coastal line and the long-term answer to this far-reaching problem is the use of zinc protected steel during the structure’s initial construction stages. In 1836, Sorel in France received a patent for the process of coating a cleaned steel by dipping it in molten zinc, which he names as 'galvanizing'. Galvanized steel plays a vital role in our everyday lives and is widely used in construction, transport, agriculture and power transmission where excellent corrosion protection and long life are essential. Although India has become world’s second-largest crude steel producer, it still lags behind major developed economies in the uptake of galvanized steel. India’s per capita demand for zinc-coated steel is 7 kg, which is far behind the world average of 22 kg. In order to increase the domestic steel production, the government has come out with National Steel Policy 2017, to facilitate faster growth and development of steel industry. In order to achieve this target, it is essential that we protect the steel structures by using galvanized steel, which will ensure a long life, safety, and security of the public. This article presents the details of the galvanizing industry in India, how it has developed over the last several decades and the future outlook.