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Judicious marketing is critical. And in the case of cement versus steel as in India, it is crucial to appreciate the different approaches of the public sector steel industry and the private sector cement industry.

From the 1950s until about 2000, aside from Tisco in the private sector the predominant steel producer was the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL). The Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCo) was not functioning not only due to political activities but also because of a lack of investment, and it has since been subsumed by SAIL.

There was no incentive for the public sector to participate in marketing because it was a captive market. Even today, the Indian steel industry is indifferent to the introduction of modern design documents and surface treatment principles, making it uncompetitive with its rival sector.

The cement industry, on the other hand, flooded the country with reprints of American Concrete Institute (ACI) technical documents from the 1950s and kept abreast of technological developments overseas. Thus, by the 1970s, while the steel industry floundered cement went from strength to strength.

Now, thanks to competition from China, the Indian steel industry is on the mend. But due to the conditions over the last 50 years, it will still take some effort to convince architects and engineers of the benefits of steel.