Corrosion costs India 2-3% of GDP annually: CSIR-NML Jamshedpur Director

International conference on corrosion and coatings begins in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Feb 6: “Corrosion is a silent enemy, and India loses 2-3% of its GDP annually due to its impact. This calls for immediate attention from scientists, engineers, and technologists to work collectively on innovative solutions to protect steel structures from corrosion,” said Dr. Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury, Director of CSIR-NML.

Addressing the international conference on Corrosion and Coatings (i3C-2025), at a hotel in Golmuri (Jamshedpur) on February 6, chief guest Dr. Chowdhury emphasized the crucial role of steel in the nation’s development and urged for advanced corrosion protection strategies.

Two-day event organized by the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) Jamshedpur Chapter in association with Tata Steel Ltd., CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML), and National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jamshedpur, began on February 6.

Guest of Honour, A.K. Manohar, Executive Director of NTPC, New Delhi, delivered an insightful address on the challenges of corrosion in the power sector. “Corrosion severely affects power plant structures, necessitating immediate protective coating solutions. Collaboration among scientists, engineers, and academicians is key to developing effective technologies for mitigating corrosion,” he said, stressing the importance of consortium-based efforts for research and development.

Dr. Raghuvir Singh, Chairman of i3C-2025, welcomed the delegates and provided an overview of the two-day technical program, which featured four plenary lectures, 15 keynote speeches, and 40 contributory lectures. The conference also included a poster session with over 15 displays and several technical stalls for participant interaction and exposure to the latest advancements.

Dr. Ashok Kumar, Chairman of IIM Jamshedpur Chapter, briefed the audience on the activities of IIM and its efforts in organizing prestigious conferences like i3C. He emphasized the critical role played by IIM Jamshedpur in addressing the current needs of the industry and promoting technical knowledge.

Dr. Tapan Kumar Rout, Convenor of i3C-2025 and Principal Scientist at Tata Steel, expressed gratitude to all the sponsors, speakers, and attendees. He noted that i3C-2025 stood out as a unique conference focused on idea exchange and technological innovation, providing a platform for discussions not often seen in similar events.

More than 100 delegates and speakers from 34 reputed institutions, including IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, IICT Hyderabad, and RMIT University (Australia), participated in the conference in both physical and hybrid modes. Representatives from industries like Jindal Steel & Power, Materials Design (USA), and COMSOL (Switzerland) were also present.

The event received support from sponsors such as Tata Steel, Electrotherm, Growel, Nippon Parkerising, Henkel, Shimadzu, and Tata BlueScope, among others. The discussions held during the conference are expected to pave the way for new advancements in corrosion protection and coatings technology.

Earlier, the conference was formally inaugurated with the release of the conference souvenir by the dignitaries, including Dr. Ashok Kumar, Chairman of IIM Jamshedpur Chapter; Dr. Raghuvir Singh, Chairman of i3C-2025; Dr. Tapan Kumar Rout, Convenor of i3C-2025;  Sudhanshu Pathak, former Vice President of Steel Manufacturing, Tata Steel; and Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director of CSIR-IMMT. Other key dignitaries included Mr. Praveen Thampi, Chief CRM at Tata Steel Kalinganagar, and Atul Srivastav, Vice President of Welspun Group.