The NACE International Institute (NII) has entered into a licensing agreement with the Nirvaan Foundation of Skill Development (NFSD), a not-for-profit organization that provides skills development, education, and training programs in rural and urban areas of India.

In India, NFSD will act as a licensee to implement the NIICAP program, an accreditation program that validates a coatings contractor's quality assurance program, support practices, and production processes.

Coating contractors applying for NIICAP accreditation are subject to intensive audits of their business practices, including field and shop practices, internal training programs, hazardous waste removal and management, and health and safety conditions. In India, NFSD will act on behalf of NII to market NIICAP and execute audits. NIICAP accreditation will be issued through NII.

NFSD programs currently includes skill development welding, paint applicator training, architectural coatings application, and masonry training. The organization plans to add more programs in additional fields in the future.

According to the International Measures of Prevention, Application, and Economics of Corrosion Technologies (IMPACT) study by NACE International, the direct cost of corrosion for India is USD26.1 billion or 2.4 percent of India’s GDP. The indirect cost of corrosion was USD39.8 billion or 3.6 percent of India GDP. To mitigate the cost of corrosion, the IMPACT study recommends the implementation of corrosion management programs for both government organizations as well as private companies; training and education of the workforce is an important aspect of these programs. Since coatings are considered to be the first line of defense against corrosion, the agreement between NFSD and NII will raise the bar for the coatings industry in India and enable public and private asset owners to increase public safety and improve corrosion management practices.