India celebrates 100 years of stainless steel with a bang
India celebrated completion of 100 years of Stainless steel on October 10th 2012, as part of the global celebrations of relatively new corrosion resistant material and the product which was first created, patented and produced in the year 1912.
From small beginnings a hundred years ago, stainless steel has grown to be an integral part of our lives. Utilized primarily for its corrosion resistance, stainless steel is also found in applications where strength, hygiene, human safety and aesthetics are important.
In India the stainless steel community celebrated the landmark event in a day long conference on "100 years of Stainless Steel – Towards Building Corrosion Free India" organized by SteelGuru in New Delhi, where more than 200 renowned stakeholders from the stainless steel community which included stainless steel producers, processors, government bodies, national and international certification and consultancy authorities & academic Institutions participated in the deliberations.
Mr Sudhir Vasudev CMD of ONGC while inaugurating the event said "Stainless steel is the fastest growing segment of the metals industry, its applications are diverse and new applications are being constantly being developed. It has become major part in all of our lives, and has truly changed the world. In India demand for stainless steel is on constant increase due to awareness about the product and availability of right grades and sizes. The demand for the corrosion free metal is on increase in high end industries including Oil & Gas, Energy and shipping related industries, railways, ports, infrastructure and automotive where corrosion is a serious issue."
Mr Pronab Roy principal advisor with planning commission said "While stainless steel share in the steel big picture in India is the highest in the world but the per capita usage in India is abysmally low. Due to lower penetration of stainless steel in infrastructure areas, our country loses INR 2 trillion (USD 40 billion) every year due to corrosion of infrastructure, industrial equipment and other vital installations, according to last estimates from Corrosion Management Committee of CII. Corrosion has a huge economic and environmental impact on virtually all facets of the world's infrastructure, from highways, bridges, and buildings to oil and gas, chemical processing, water and wastewater systems and particularly industrial structures. In addition to causing severe damage and threat to public safety, corrosion disrupts operations and requires extensive repair and replacement of failed assets. We are a resource crunched nation and we cannot afford this luxury at all."
Mr Markus Moll, MD, Steel and Metals Market Research stressed promoting use of stainless steel applications.
Opening Session - Building Corrosion Free India
Chairman - Mr Yatinder Pal Singh Suri, Country Head, Outokumpu India
Mr Sudhir Vasudeva, CMD, ONGC
Dr Pronab Sen, Principal Advisor, Planning Commission
Mr Markus Moll, Managing Director, Steel & Metals Market Research
100 Years of Stainless Steel - Lessons & Learning’s for India
Chairman - Dr AS Firoz, Chief Economist, ERU, MOS
The Dark Side of Corrosion - Dr VS Raja, Professor, Corrosion Science and Engineering, IIT Mumbai
Bright Side of Stainless Steel - Mr Peter Samuelsson, Senior Vice President R&D, Outokumpu
Stainless – For Life Cycle Advantage - Dr Peter Cutler, Director Promotion, Nickel Institute
Chrome Makes it Stainless - Mr Philippe Richard, Secretary General, ICDA
The Indian Stainless Journey So Far - Mr Sunil Sisodia, DGM Quality, SAIL SSP
Towards Building Green India
Chairman – Mr Sushim Banerjee, Director General, INSDAG
Architecture - Professor Anne Feenstra, M.Arch, Architect & Planner (Initiator Delhi2050), The Netherlands
Water Systems - Mr Ajay Popat, CEO, Ion Exchange
Catering & Appliances - Mr Ramesh Shah, President, All India Stainless Steel Industries Association
Oil & Gas - Mr Sanjay Joshi, CEO & MD, AKER Solution India
Nuclear Energy - Dr U Kamachi Mudali, Associate Director, Corrosion Science and Technology, IGCAR
Panel Discussion - Stainless Steel & Sustainability
Moderator – Mr Raj Kumar Sahu, NDTV
Mr Markus Moll, Managing Director, Steel & Metals Market Research
Mr Austin Lu, Senior VP APAC, Outokumpu
Mr Richard Matheson, Executive Director, ASSDA
Mr Hemal Shah, Deputy Managing Director, Viraj Profiles Ltd
Dr Anand Kumar, Former Director R&D, IOCL
Dr RC Prasad, Professor, Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, IIT Mumbai
Lead Sponsor – Outokumpu
Platinum Sponsor - Viraz Profiles Ltd
Knowledge partners –IT Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bhubaneswar
Supporting Organization – Institute o Steel Development & Growth, Process Plant & Machinery Association of India, All India Stainless Steel I, All India Induction Furnace Association, Indian Chemical Council, CSIR, Indian Society of Structural Engineers, Chem Tech, IA Struct E, Indian Institute of Bridge Engineering, The Indian Ferro Alloys Producers Association and International Chrome Development Association
Media Partners – Platts & Steel Business Briefing, Metal Bulletin, Steel & Metallurgy, Minerals & Metals Review, Steel Market Info, Engineering Review, Petroleum Bazar, Biz Duniya, Trade India, India Mart and Construction update
Source – Global Business Connect