Mathur says that stainless steel has been found particularly important in the construction of bridges in coastal areas. ``Bridges are expected to last about 80 years. But in coastal areas, we find that bridges sometimes need repairs within 10-15 years after their construction. Stainless steel provides the ideal solution. Because of their high level of corrosion resistance, stainless steel reinforcement bars can guarantee 80 years of maintenance free service,'' he says.

``A living example of this is a bridge in Mexico built over the sea, where the piers are already 60 years old. After inspection, experts feel that the bridge can be expected to give another 20-30 years of maintenance-free life,'' he adds.

Infrastructure that came up in the West some 40 years ago is now demanding huge maintenance costs. Had these countries used stainless steel for the constructions, the life cycle of most of the projects would have extended well into the 2020s. ``Since we are in the stage of building up our infrastructure, we must learn from their experience and specify stainless steel,'' says Mathur.

In the initial stage of a project, use of stainless steel could push up costs in the range of 4-15 per cent of the total cost. But in the long run, the low maintenance costs more than make up for the cost escalation in the initial stage, claims Mathur. ``The Ansals found out that cladding of over 90 circular concrete columns at the Ansal Plaza in south Delhi was cheaper than stone and other materials on a first cost basis,'' he maintains. The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) is promoting the use of stainless steel structures in infrastructure projects in view of the long-term benefits they accrue.

The high strength to weight ratio of stainless steel also makes it highly effective in transportation, especially for building railway coaches, coal wagons and bus bodies. ``Use of stainless steel reduces the weight of the vehicles, leading to a major saving of fuel energy,'' he says.

``Once clearance is given for LPG to be used as automotive fuel, stainless steel cylinders will be introduced for automotive LPG tanks. It will also be used for domestic LPG cylinders, once the necessary governmental clearance has been received. These stainless steel cylinders will be about 50 per cent of the weight of the present mild steel cylinders, saving a lot of energy in their transportation,'' says Mathur.

Steel gas cylinders need neither paint nor heat treatment. The life cycle of a stainless steel LPG cylinder is 20-25 years, while the ordinary ones last roughly 10 years. ``Oil companies can save on transport costs by using stainless steel LPG cylinders,'' he says. Spain and Australia are using such cylinders extensively, he adds.

Since India is likely to emerge as the world's largest supplier of LPG, even a 5 per cent shift to stainless steel cylinders can bring rich dividends, according to Mathur.

Stainless steel has an important role even in the storage of water for domestic use. Galvanised iron overhead water tanks with zinc coating are not easy to maintain. ``Even syntex tanks are not very safe. A stainless steel water tank, on the other hand, is hygienic and durable. It can last up to 25 years, which is certainly not the case with syntex tanks,'' he says.

``Of course, they cost a little more than the conventional tanks. But the apartment cost can easily absorb the higher cost of a stainless steel tank,'' he adds.

In India, stainless steel already enjoys widespread acceptance because of its easy maintenance. The country consumes the highest tonnage of stainless steel for cooking, serving and storage utensils in the kitchen. As much as 75 per cent of the stainless steel consumed in India, or about 470,000 tonnes, are used for the purpose. ``We would like to see stainless steel replace wood in the housing sector,'' says he.

Mathur, who is also advisor to the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association, says that stainless steel is being popularised in various segments of society through lectures and seminars at schools, institutes of higher learning and architecture and design schools.