BMW, Mercedes-Benz, TVS, Royal Enfield, VECV, others resume production

BMW GROUP INDIA: BMW Group India started operations at Plant Chennai on May 7, 2020 in accordance with guidelines issued by local authorities. Local production at the plant started with less than 50% of the regular workforce. All other employees will continue to work from home. The Plant will resume its operations in a single shift. Depending on the pandemic situation and government advisories, deployment of staff will be adjusted steadily.

BMW Plant Chennai has implemented several precautionary measures to create a safe working environment including remodelling of plant layout to ensure strict social distancing, individual protective gear for all employees, daily health check-ups, staggered lunch schedules, pre-packed meals and highest level of sanitization measures.

The National Sales Company and BMW India Financial Services based out of BMW Group India headquarters in Gurugram will continue to work from home. BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad Dealerships across the country will restart the operations in adherence to local government directives and advisories while maintaining necessary safety and hygiene measures.

MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA: Mercedes-Benz announced the restarting of production at its manufacturing facility at Chakan, Pune. The production has commenced in a graded manner following the directives from the Government of Maharashtra to reopen and resume operations. The company will plan a gradual ramp-up in the coming weeks depending completely on the evolving current situation, which is being monitored closely by the Leadership Team.

The safety, health and well-being of the employees, customers and suppliers continue to be of utmost importance to Mercedes-Benz India and the company has taken all the necessary precautions while restarting operations. The production has begun with only the essential staff at the production facility, adhering to all the required social distancing protocols and mandated safety and sanitization measures implemented. Those employees whose work deliverables do not require them to be present at work, will however continue to work from home.

Mercedes-Benz India’s select dealers across different regions have also started operations as per the government guidelines and necessary permissions from local authorities. Mercedes-Benz India dealerships have also started operations in some regions implementing the business re-start protocols for maintaining a safe, secure and highly sanitized environment at the dealerships, and also while interacting with customers, visitors and suppliers.

ROYAL ENFIELD: Royal Enfield, part of the Eicher Group, had suspended its manufacturing operations on March 23, 2020 in line with Government directives of lockdown to curtail the spread of COVID-19

Subsequent to the new directives issued by the Government on May 1, 2020 with regards to resumption of manufacturing, industrial and commercial business activities, Royal Enfield has resumed operations at its manufacturing facilities starting May 6, 2020, the company stated in a press release. The company’s manufacturing unit at Oragadam, near Chennai, India will be the first to begin operations in a staggered manner, with minimal staff over a single shift. Employees and shop floor staff residing in and around plant locations will be aligned to work in these units so as to avoid long-distance travel and minimise contact during transportation. There will be complete compliance to norms of social distancing & workplace sanitisation. Operations at the other two manufacturing facilities - Tiruvottiyur and Vallam Vadagal - will be started in a phased manner. All other office locations including corporate offices in Chennai, Gurgaon and the UK Technical Centre will continue to remain closed, and employees will work from home as of now.

The company further noted that while the majority of Royal Enfield dealer network will continue to remain closed, around 120 dealerships have begun partial operations. “We expect around 300 dealerships, in all, to be operational by mid May with strict safety measures and social distancing norms will be followed at dealerships as well. The company will offer facilities like ‘home test-rides’ to ensure adherence to preventive safety measures. During the period of the lockdown, Royal Enfield has extended warranty and free service validity for a period of two months. Royal Enfield will continue to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action as per regulatory and administrative guidance,” the release added.

VE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) announced the resumption of manufacturing operations in seven of its plants in the country. These plants located in Pithampur, Dewas, and Baggad in Madhya Pradesh and Thane in Maharashtra have resumed lean operations after the required permissions were granted by the state government. VECV had earlier initiated sanitisation processes, maintenance of their plant and machinery, annual stock-taking and various steps required to maintain social distancing and other safety norms.

Lean operations have been initiated at 25-40% levels in these plants with strict adherence to the guidelines and advisories laid down by the Central and State Government as well as the local authorities. The priority continues to be to service the customers with dispatch of parts to various service centres, dispatch of already produced BSVI vehicles, and meeting the needs of transporters engaged in delivery of essential goods. VE Power Train plant has also resumed manufacturing and exports of engines for Volvo Group requirements. Eicher Engineering Components (EEC) plants at Dewas have resumed lean operations to meet requirements of exports customers engaged in agricultural tractors, harvesters, essential mining and construction segment. Additionally, EEC plant at Thane has also received limited permission to resume lean operations where work will commence soon as per strict government guidelines.

The company’s dealerships have been maintaining emergency support for vehicles carrying essential goods with Eicher On Road Service (EOS 24x7). Currently, 139 workshops and 40 site support setups are partially operational as per permissions from respective Government authorities. New processes have been introduced to ensure all safety norms at these workshops including social distancing, sanitisation of premises and vehicles before servicing, thermal screening & other checks to ensure safety of workforce as well as customers and drivers visiting our workshops. Keeping customer centricity at the core during these times, VECV had extended warranty, free service, and annual maintenance contracts till 30th June for its entire Eicher Trucks & Buses range.

TVS MOTOR COMPANY: TVS Motor Company commenced its operations in India across all factories in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh.  A comprehensive preparedness manual has been designed for employees to ensure complete adherence to necessary safety guidelines to help minimise the spread of the virus.  At all its manufacturing facilities, the company has undertaken exhaustive measures to ensure safe workplace for employees with appropriate social distancing and highest standards of hygiene.  Work from Home option also continues for certain category of people, in adherence to respective state government guidelines.

HERO MOTOCORP: Hero MotoCorp has commenced operations, as per the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.  The decision by the Company comes in the wake of the relaxations put in place by the government on the countrywide lockdown and the necessary permissions granted by the local authorities.

To begin with, Hero MotoCorp commenced operations in a graded manner at three of its manufacturing plants– Gurugram and Dharuhera (both in Haryana), Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and additionally the Global Parts Center (GPC) at Neemrana in Rajasthan. These manufacturing plants have reopened and production at these facilities have already commenced.

Only the essential staff will come to work at all the other facilities and corporate offices, observing social distancing and all prescribed safety measures. The remaining employees across all locations in India will continue to Work from Home (WFH) till further notice.

The Company’s other manufacturing plants have also obtained the necessary permissions to reopen and these will commence operations after most of the supply chain partners of the Company get the permissions to operate.The Company’s R&D facility – the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) – has also received the necessary permission to reopen and will resume functioning soon.

BHARAT FORGE: Bharat Forge Limited is gearing up to commence partial operations at its Baramati plant as per the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India after obtaining permission from the local district authority (MIDC, Baramati).

Bharat Forge has commenced operations in a graded manner with the Baramati facility reopening and the company expects production to commence by end of the week, post completion of mandatory safety check and training of personnel on Physical distancing, health & hygiene.