Automakers Renault and Kia Motors have restarted operations at their India plants after receiving requisite permissions from authorities. The plants were shut for over 40 days amid COVID-19 lockdown.
Renault’s only Indian plant at Chennai has an annual capacity of 400,000 units. The automaker has also re-opened selected dealerships in India. Renault’s 194 showrooms have started dispatching cars to North India and Tamil Nadu in a phased manner.
Korea-based company Kia Motors has a plant at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh which is working on a single eight-hour shift producing around 240 cars per day. The company’s spare parts suppliers have also resumed operations. Kia states it holds enough inventory to sustain production for a month, as reported by local media.
Most global carmakers and original equipment manufacturers have started resuming work in a phased manner. Auto companies now hope for sales to come back on track with dealerships restarting sales. A sluggish auto sector had earlier pulled down demand for various metals and metallic scrap.