Rusting of iron and steel due to moisture, heat & pollutants result in a 5% loss to India’s GDP annually, a drain that is both massive and avoidable. Everything made of iron or steel is prone to rusting due to wetness and moisture. This is a huge loss, which can easily be prevented. The solution lies in galvanization where steel is coated with zinc.
With this, Agarwal spotlighted zinc as a national protector an essential mineral that shields steel infrastructure, vehicles, and buildings from decay, enhancing their life span and safety. His call to action is clear: in a country like India, where infrastructure faces severe weathering, galvanization must become a mainstream practice, not an afterthought.
Beyond corrosion prevention, Agarwal also positioned zinc as a future-critical mineral, pointing to its emerging role in clean technology. “Today, zinc is being explored as an alternative to lithium in high-tech batteries,” he noted, indicating zinc’s strategic potential in India’s clean energy and storage revolution.
Steel, which constitutes over 70% of most vehicle bodies, is highly susceptible to corrosion unless it is protected. Zinc is the single most effective material to protect steel from corrosion. In international markets like North America, Europe, China and Japan, over 90% of vehicles use zinc-coated bodies. In stark contrast, India lags, with currently only about 0 to 25% of vehicles utilizing zinc-coated bodies
As India builds for the future, Agarwal serves a strong reminder that galvanization is not just about preventing rust it’s about protecting national assets, conserving public wealth, and accelerating India’s industrial resilience. As India inches towards the goal of 300 MTPA steel production and aims to become a developed country, zinc galvanization will enable reducing maintenance costs and higher overhead costs for upcoming infrastructure projects.
