Maruti Suzuki Gets Govt Nod To Resume Some Operations At Gurugram And Manesar

The Ministry of Home Affairs had recently issued an order to state governments to allow some manufacturing and construction to be resumed in India from April 20 onward. While the rest of the country remains under lockdown until May 3, Maruti Suzuki is all set to restart operations in Haryana.

In a letter, the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram has granted the carmaker permission to resume operations at its Gurugram offices during the coronavirus lockdown. The new operating procedures dictate that Maruti will have 4696 people working in a single shift. A maximum of 50 vehicles will be allowed to ply the roads.

It was revealed on Twitter earlier in the day that Maruti Suzuki will resume operations at its manufacturing facility at Manesar, Haryana.

Does this mean that Maruti will start making cars again? It has said that it will resume production when it can maintain its supply chain and sell cars. Since car dealerships will remain closed at least until the current May 3 lockdown deadline, full-scale production is unlikely.

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However, the carmaker will be able to carry out maintenance activities. It is likely to spend the next ten days preparing itself for the possibility of full-scale manufacturing after May 3. With no clarity on how the lockdown may be lifted, the Indian auto industry faces an uphill battle.

We await similar notifications from other states to carmakers. While the industry cannot be expected to utilise this time for recovery, the move could stem the rapid decline of automotive manufacturing jobs. More people going to work is a welcome return to normalcy during severe lockdown conditions.

We hope Maruti Suzuki and other carmakers will have exemplary policies and methods to protect their employees from the COVID-19 coronavirus.