Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) and India Yamaha Motor are keen to resume manufacturing operations at their respective plants after the lockdown is lifted. India has been under a complete lockdown since March 24, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak which has crippled industry around the world. India’s automakers, including two-wheeler manufacturers in the world’s largest two-wheeler market, have been suffering heavy losses during this time, with plants and dealerships shut down across the country as India tries to prevent the highly contagious COVID-19 virus from spreading further.
According to reports, HMSI has already sought permission to open its plants, and Yamaha is keen to start production in compliance with new protocols laid down by the government. However, both India Yamaha and HMSI will likely take some time to kickstart operations with many component suppliers also shut in the current lockdown. At the same time, it may take some time for workers to return from their native places, without public transport, including railways, in-land and air travel being resumed. While May 3, 2020 is till when the lockdown will be in force, it is generally expected that the countrywide lockdown will be extended, with some specific relaxations with guidelines announced in the next few weeks for a few sectors, including manufacturing.
HMSI has four manufacturing plants at Manesar in Haryana, Tapukara in Rajasthan, Narsapura in Karnataka, and Vithalapur in Gujarat, with a total installed production capacity of 64 lakh units per annum. India Yamaha has three manufacturing plants at Faridabad in Haryana, Surajpur, in Uttar Pradesh, and Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.