The Nomura Research Institute (NRI) Consulting & Solutions India has found that the use of galvanised steel in infrastructure projects can save up to ₹49,580 crore annually.
The institute estimates that corrosion costs India’s infrastructure sector about ₹1.42 lakh crore annually, equivalent to 2.9 per cent of the sector’s GDP.
NRI notes that zinc coating on structural steel, reinforcement and other exposed steel components can offer longer service life and lower lifecycle cost compared with alternatives.
The national highway network has expanded to around 1.46 lakh km, airports increased from 74 to 157, and port capacity doubled from about 800 MTPA to 1,600 MTPA between 2015 and 2025. Over the same decade, about 25,871 km of new railway tracks were added, said the study.
The report said inadequate material selection and poor adherence to inspection and maintenance schedules can weaken structural integrity and shorten the useful life of assets.
NRI has called for stronger corrosion-protection requirements, particularly in coastal and high-humidity regions. It points to the US and Japan, where protection requirements are linked more closely to exposure conditions.
The report also notes that more than 2,000 buildings in Mumbai were under redevelopment in 2025, highlighting the wider challenge of maintaining ageing urban assets.
Conventional TMT reinforcement typically offers durability of around 40-50 years, depending on environmental conditions. Galvanised TMT has a higher upfront cost, but NRI estimates a service life exceeding 100 years, including in high-chloride marine environments, with a lower annualised lifecycle cost.
For structural steel, multi-coat paint systems may have a coating life of 10-25 years, requiring repainting during the life of an asset. Hot-dip galvanising, by comparison, can provide durability beyond 100 years in suitable conditions and better lifecycle economics in high-moisture environments.
Rahul Sharma, Director – India, International Zinc Association, said in corrosion-prone environments, galvanisation can help reduce recurring maintenance requirements and extend asset life. For long-life infrastructure, lifecycle performance should increasingly become as important a consideration as upfront cost, he said.
As infrastructure spending rises, the case is growing for procurement standards that look beyond initial construction cost and take into account maintenance, durability and the full lifecycle cost of an asset, said NRI.