The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has awarded the first licence to produce Structural Weather Resistant Steel (Corten Steel), to Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant in Jharkhand, which will help reduce the country’s dependence on imported shipping containers made of Corten Steel.

“The licence is given to Tata Steel as part of India’s larger endeavour to reduce the country’s dependence on import of shipping containers manufactured using Corten Steel.

“This special grade steel is predominantly used in the manufacturing of shipping containers and other heavy-duty weather-proof applications, including rail wagon side panels, rice mill containers, building construction, street furniture and upmarket works of art, signs, chimineas and fire bowls,” said a senior official in Tata Steel.

Corten steel is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting to impart weather resistant properties and is known for durability, low maintenance and improved life cycle.