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Coronavirus crisis: Automobile firms rally to govt's call for ventilators

Updated : March 26, 2020 03:15 PM IST

Pawan Goenka said his team was working on an automated version of the big valve mask ventilator.

Anand Mahindra too spoke about the company's efforts in making big valve mask ventilators.

A day after the government reached out to auto companies requesting them for help in making ventilators, the Mahindra group has set the process into motion.

MD and CEO of Mahindra Group Pawan Goenka tweeted, "We along with two large PSUs are working with an existing manufacturer of ventilators to help them simplify design and scale up capacity. Our engineering team is right now with them".

Goenka said his team was working on an automated version of the big valve mask ventilator.

“We hope to have a prototype ready in three days for approval. Once proven this prototype will be made available to all for manufacturing."

Anand Mahindra too spoke about the company's efforts in making big valve mask ventilators. He said, "This could be a game changer in quickly providing large number of low cost life savers, particularly when ICU ventilators are still scarce". Mahindra also lauded the company's teams in Igatpuri and Kandivali who have been working for the last 48 hours on these devices.

Not just the Mahindra group, Tata Motors, Hyundai and Maruti have also set up teams drawn from different departments to respond to the government's call. These vehicle makers are also exploring partnerships with existing manufacturers and PSUs to make ventilators on a large scale.

The Tata Group has setup an internal team drawn from different group companies. Sources told CNBC-TV18 the company is looking at all options, internal manufacturing and importing. An official said that the company was looking at the possibility of importing ventilators from China, as Europe and US are also looking to China to meet their demands.

Hyundai India's corporate social responsibility team is also exploring various options to help the government ramp up medical preparedness.

CNBC-TV18 has learnt that the Maharashtra government has requested the industry for help in making 15000 ventilators. There are requests from different state governments as well.

Automobile companies and top officials from the Ministry of Heavy Industries and government is sharing BIS standards and specifications with companies who are keen to manufacture ventilators, masks and sanitizers.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Deepak Jain, president, Automotive Components Manufacturers Association, said, "Ventilators need an approved design, specifications and there is a testing protocol even if we take it up on priority. There are a few of us who have started looking at making masks and hand sanitizers and we will be reaching out to the Department of Heavy Industries to see how we can fast track this process. Manufacturing Ventilators is a long drawn out process and we are looking at the possibility of importing and donating them to the government".

RC Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki, said that the company's teams were working round the clock to see how the government's need for ventilators can be addressed and they hope to have an answer in the next 48 hours.

Elsewhere, Fiat began converting one of its car plants in China to start making about one million masks a month and will start production shortly, according to a BBC news report.

In the US, General Motors, Ford and Tesla, and in the UK, Nissan and Formula 1 teams have offered resources to respective governments to make more ventilators.

On Tuesday, Ford said that it was working with 3M to manufacture at scale Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs).

Also, it was working with GE Healthcare to expand production of a simplified version of GE Healthcare’s existing ventilator design.

“To go as fast as possible, the Ford and 3M teams have been resourcefully locating off-the-shelf parts like fans from the Ford F-150’s cooled seats for airflow, 3M HEPA air filters to filter airborne contaminants such as droplets that carry virus particles and portable tool battery packs to power these respirators for up to eight hours,” the Ford release said.