India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has announced that it will shut down its factories in Haryana to make oxygen available for medical needs as coronavirus ravages the country.
The company said it is committed to support government in diverting oxygen for saving lives.
In this regard, the company advanced its bi-annual maintenance shutdown to May 1 through May 9 from earlier plan of June. the car major has factories in Haryana’s Gurugram and Manesar.
“As part of the car manufacturing process, Maruti Suzuki uses a small amount of oxygen in its factories while relatively much larger quantities are used by the manufacturers of components. In the current situation, we believe that all available oxygen should be used to save lives. Accordingly, Maruti Suzuki has decided to advance its maintenance shutdown, originally scheduled for June, to 1st to 9th May. Production in all factories will close for maintenance during this period,” the company said in a stock exchange filing.
Suzuki’s Gujarat-based plant, which manufactures cars on a contract basis for MSI, has an annual production capacity of 7.5 lakh units. The company has revealed that even amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was going strong and had registered only 1,280 active cases of the virus among its 30,000 strong workforce.
This comes after the Centre on April 25 restricted industrial usage of Oxygen and directed all manufacturing units to maximise their production to ensure that uninterrupted supply is available for COVID-19 patients.
After Maruti Suzuki Hyundai Motor has also introduced a Rs 20 Cr Covid-19 bundle, turning into the newest automaker to have stepped up within the combat in opposition to the pandemic. The automaker will make the donation by way of’s its philanthropic arm, Hyundai Motor India Basis (HMIF).
The funds will be used to improve the healthcare facilities in some of the most affected states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The Korean company is also setting up oxygen generating plants in hospitals by deploying its resources, aiming to provide life support to critical patients and hospitals.
