Coronavirus impact: Maruti to M&M, automakers put brakes on production

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the country's largest carmaker, said it was suspending production at its facilities in Haryana "till further notice".

Some of the country’s top automakers have taken the lead in suspending production to safeguard its employees as COVID-19 continues to spread despite lockdowns.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the country’s largest carmaker, said it was suspending production at its facilities in Haryana “till further notice”. The company’s research and development centre at Rohtak would also remain closed, it said. “As a next step, the government policy now requires closure of production and, accordingly, the company has taken a decision on production closure,” the firm said.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said it had suspended manufacturing at its Nagpur plant and would halt production at Chakan (Pune) and Kandivali (Mumbai) from Monday. Anand Mahindra, group company chairman, said on Twitter the company would immediately begin work on how it can make ventilators at its plants.

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“A lockdown over the next few weeks will help flatten the curve and moderate the peak pressure on medical care,” Mahindra said, adding that it would offer its holiday resorts as temporary care facilities and help the government in building such centres.

Mercedes-Benz and Fiat have also suspended operations till the end of this month. Volkswagen is shutting Pune plant for three weeks. After advising staff — except in business-critical roles — to work remotely, Ford India has decided to suspend vehicle and engine production at its manufacturing sites in Chennai and Sanand from March 23 till March 28.

Hero MotoCorp, the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, said it had suspended production at all sites globally till March 31. “The firm has decided to halt global operations — including at India, Colombia and Bangladesh — and the global parts centre at Neemrana till March 31,” it said. Employees at all the other locations, including the Centre of Innovation and Technology at Jaipur, would continue to work from home, it said.