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Coronavirus hits motown: Car and bike makers shut plants

Updated : March 23, 2020 07:08 AM IST

The list includes marquee names like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, TVS, Royal Enfield and Suzuki Motorcycles, to name a few.

SIAM, ACMA have appealed to halt production at plants, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A large number of Indian automobile giants have announced a halt to production at plants across the country, in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. The list includes marquee names like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, TVS, Royal Enfield and Suzuki Motorcycles, to name a few.

The decision comes amid appeals from industry bodies like the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Automobile Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) to halt production at plants, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maruti Suzuki & Hyundai halt production:

On Sunday, Maruti Suzuki said it was shutting down “production and office operations” at its facilities in Gurugram and Manesar with immediate effect until further notice. The closure will also take effect at the company’s R&D centre at Rohtak. “The duration of this shutdown will depend upon on Government policy,” said Maruti Suzki, in a statement.

The decision comes even as the automobile major has been enforcing social distancing, sanitization and hygiene, temperature-screening and a clampdown on employee travel at its offices. Later in the day, several other automobile majors announced that they would adopt similar measures, to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Later in the day, Hyundai Motor India Limited announced that it would shut its Chennai plant from Monday, until further notice. “The health and hygiene of our employees, customers, business partners and communities is of utmost priority in every situation,” said Hyundai Motor India Limited in a statement, “Keeping this in mind, Hyundai Motor India Limited will be taking the preventive counter-measure of suspending manufacturing operations at the Chennai facility from Monday, March 23, 2020, till further notice, to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Hyundai reassured customers in the statement that emergency services to customers would continue to be active, and that those customers who may not be able to avail of warranty owing to closures, will get a two-month extension on the same.

Two-wheeler makers close plants too:

Two-wheeler manufacturers are taking no chances either, with similar shutdowns announced by Royal Enfield, Suzuki Motorcycles and TVS. While TVS announced that it was shutting operations at all manufacturing facilities for two days from March 23 onwards, Royal Enfield said all its plants in India and overseas would remain closed until March 31.

“In light of the unprecedented situation owing to the spread of COVID-19, Royal Enfield has decided to suspend all operations globally, starting Monday, March 23, 2020, till March 31, 2020,” the company said in a statement, “During this time, company employees will continue to work from home, and there will be no salary deduction for any permanent or temporary employees or workforce, and no reduction of workforce.”

The closure applies to all three of Enfield’s plants in Chennai, and technical centres across Chennai and Leicestershire in the UK.

Suzuki Motorcycle India has closed its plant in Gurgaon as a precautionary measure, until further notice. “While the Company has taken all measures to ensure the well-being of its employees at the workplace, we have announced a `Work from Home’ advisory to our employees and associates who are not involved with maintaining essential services,” said Kochiro Hirao, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India, in a statement.