Kia Motors Resumes Production In India

Kia Motors has resumed production at its facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The carmaker will be following strict safety measures, in accordance with the central and state governments guidelines. At present, there will only be one shift and the plant will slowly roll back to full tilt once the current COVID-19 situation passes.

In the meantime, Kia has incorporated various safety measures at its facility. The plant opened its gates on May 8 and commenced production for both domestic and export markets after gaining permission from the Andhra Pradesh government and local municipal corporation.

Kia Motors took the Indian automotive market by storm and became the fourth largest carmaker in India with just one offering. The Korean carmaker recently launched the Carnival MPV and is gearing up to launch a sub-4m SUV called the Sonet soon.

Here’s what the press release says:

Kia Motors India incorporates stringent safety measures as it resumes production at its Anantapur plant
A thorough safety protocol is now in place at the entire premises of the state-of-the-art Anantapur plant to ensure a secure environment for all.

New Delhi, May 18, 2020: Kia Motors India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, has put in place a comprehensive regimen of safety measures at its production facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh as production resumes. Currently, the plant is operating a single shift and operations will begin in full force only once the COVID-19 situation in the country normalises.

The company invested the initial few days to ready its facilities, putting all safety measures in place for the well-being of its employees and vendors. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant started functioning again on May 8, 2020 to cater to both domestic and export markets after its operations were suspended following the nationwide lockdown announced by the Government of India. All the necessary permissions from the Andhra Pradesh Government and Anantapur local municipal corporation were taken before operations resumed at the Kia Motors India manufacturing facility.

He further added that “Kia Motors India priorities are to clear pending orders for the best-selling Seltos and luxurious Carnival, and also to prepare the line for the eagerly anticipated compact SUV, Sonet. Our stakeholders, including suppliers and logistics partners, are all in-line with the current production and have assured us support in case we have to increase production volumes over the coming days.”

Kia Motors India is taking all the necessary precautions to ensure physical distancing at the work environment. Health and hygiene measures such as sanitization, distribution of masks, regular temperature checks, and medical check-up before entering the plant premises, etc. will be adhered to. In addition to this, the company is also taking the following measures to ensure maximum safety of its employees:

1.Social distancing in areas like canteen, team meeting areas, walkways, meeting rooms, washrooms, water dispensing areas, etc.
2.Disinfecting the common computers, biometric systems and spraying disinfectants at all common areas
3.Wearing mask at all times is mandatory for all employees till they reach their homes
4.As an adherence to State Government directives, interstate and inter district employees are not being called
5.Practicing social distancing while travelling to office in company-run buses

As a responsible corporate, Kia Motors India has donated INR 2 crores to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Relief Fund, along with one lakh masks to the government to support its COVID-19 control measures. Additionally, the company announced several support initiatives for its dealer partners to sustain and improve the cash flow in these difficult times of the pandemic. The company has also distributed 50,000 masks to its dealer partners to ensure safety of dealers and customers.

Kia Motors India has taken up several initiatives to encourage online sales, thereby reducing physical interactions and maintaining social distancing at all times possible. A detailed guideline on dealership operations has been issued to maintain required hygiene and distancing protocols at its facilities to ensure the safety of customers and staff. As a step towards spreading awareness about the global pandemic, the brand also came up with the #RewindKia campaign, urging everyone to stay home and be safe.