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After shutting down production for about 2 months, Maruti Suzuki has resumed operations at its Manesar plant, where the company produces cars with a 50% workforce.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country’s best-selling automaker, has restarted production at its Manesar facility after a hiatus of more than a month. Initially, the automaker will only operate one shift at its production center near Gurgaon.
The company has also reopened 600 dealerships after some relaxations have been provided in the national shutdown. In addition to a plant in Manesar, the company also has a plant in Gurgaon. Also, there is another one in Gujarat, but both will be closed for some time. The Manesar and Gurgaon plants together have a capacity of 15.5 lakh units.
Each day, both manufacturing plants produce around 5,000 vehicles, when operating at full capacity. The Manesar-based facility produces more vehicles between the two. This plant is used for the manufacture of Dzire, WagonR, S-presso, Ciaz and Ertiga.
Speaking of restarting production, a press release from Maruti said: “All activities would be carried out strictly in accordance with government regulations and guidelines and observing the company’s concern for the highest safety standards.. “As of now, Maruti’s inventory, which includes the accumulation of stock in pens and distributors, stands at approximately 1.30,000 units. On the other hand, the company had registered a national sale of 78,344 units in March.
The company has also begun opening its dealerships in states where it has been able to obtain the required permit after establishing a new standard operating procedure (SoP) that improves security. The company also relies heavily on digital infrastructure for vehicle sales during these times.
Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, has said: “All of our dealers have implemented measures to ensure complete safety, hygiene and disinfection of all contact points. The steps are aimed at eliminating doubts on the part of buyers to visit showrooms to receive vehicles. The company-designed SoP summarizes all facets of customer interactions. From the moment a customer enters the showroom to the final delivery of the vehicle, all processes have been scientifically studied.“
Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director of Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, commented: “In recent days, we have been able to make around 600 dealerships operational across the country.. “The company has around 3,080 dealerships spread over 1960. So far, the company has opened 474 Arena dealerships, 80 Nexa outlets and 45 commercial vehicle outlets.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is not the only automaker to have resumed operations. Nissan India recently announced a resumption of dealer shipping of its BS-VI vehicles from its alliance manufacturing facility in Chennai. With this, the automaker began shipping cars to its green and orange dealerships across the country. Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd (NMIPL), the marketing and sales organization, has even restarted its office in Gurgaon according to government prescribed guidelines.
“Health and safety remain our top priority and we are aware that precaution is the best cure during this difficult situation. In continuation of our customer-centric approach, adhering to all local governments. guidelines and following all necessary health and safety parameters, we have started operations across India as part of our business continuity plan“, said, Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. Clearly, it is only a matter of a few days before every automaker in India restarts operations, albeit with many precautions to ensure the safety of its customers and employees.
