Automakers halt production activities amid growing COVID-19 pandemic
New Delhi: Amidst coronavirus outbreak, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Kia Motors and BMW on Monday announced temporarily suspension of production activities at their respective manufacturing facilities in the country.
Hyundai Motor India, Renault and General Motors, too, decided to halt manufacturing in order to contain the contagious disease.
Similarly, Suzuki Motor Gujarat, which manufactures cars on contract basis for Maruti Suzuki India, also announced suspension of production at its Gujarat-based plant to check the spread of COVID-19.
Kia, Hyundai, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) and Renault said they were halting production till further notice, while BMW said it is suspending manufacturing till March 31, 2020.
"In view of the unprecedented situation arising out of the spread of COVID-19 and keeping in mind the safety and well-being of all our consumers, employees, workers, partners, and associates pan India, the company has decided to suspend all its operations with immediate effect," Kia Motors India said in a statement.
With this, the company's manufacturing facility in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) and company office premises will stop functioning until further notice, it added.
Hyundai said it has decided to halt production at its Chennai plant, while TKM has put brakes on manufacturing at its Bidadi facility in Karnataka.
TKM said that keeping the safety of employees as the top priority, the company has voluntarily decided to temporarily halt production in its plant in Bidadi, Karnataka till further announcement.
Similarly, BMW Group India said local production at its Chennai plant has been stopped till March 31, 2020.
French car maker Renault said it has also temporarily suspended production at its Alliance manufacturing facility, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) in Chennai. General Motors said it has suspended production at its Talegaon manufacturing facility in Maharashtra from March 21 to March 31 in support of government efforts to prevent the spread of
COVID-19.
