Corrosion costs India an estimated Rs. 1.42 tn annually, equivalent to 4.3 per cent of gross domestic product, according to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the National Research Institute. Infrastructure accounts for Rs. 142 bn of the annual burden, making it the sector with the largest absolute cost among those examined.

The report, presented at the CII Annual Infrastructure Summit 2026, said the infrastructure-sector cost equals about 2.9 per cent of the sector’s gross domestic product. It estimated that effective measures could generate maximum savings of Rs. 495.8 bn in the sector, equivalent to about 1.02 per cent of its economic output.

Infrastructure contributes around 14.5 per cent to India’s gross domestic product, and the report highlighted the importance of protecting the durability and service life of assets. At the economy-wide level, effective corrosion-prevention measures could generate savings of up to Rs. 495 bn, or about 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product.

The report recommended strengthening corrosion-protection standards across Indian infrastructure through exposure-based requirements, service-life frameworks for steel, modern testing methods, and stricter inspection and enforcement. It said a substantial part of the burden could be addressed before construction through better specifications, appropriate material selection, and suitable protection systems, rather than relying mainly on repeated maintenance and repair.

Among the recommendations is the introduction of protection requirements based on environmental exposure, particularly for assets in coastal, high-humidity, and other aggressive conditions. The report noted that the US and Japan require corrosion protection in highly corrosive environments, while Indian regulations often recognise such measures but leave their adoption optional.

For roads and bridges, it recommended stronger prevention requirements in coastal and high-humidity areas, supported by more rigorous enforcement. It also advised allowing protection systems to be selected according to the specific environment and application, so that infrastructure owners can match technical solutions to the conditions affecting each asset.