India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, is gearing itself to resume automobile production once the lockdown is lifted. As of now, the government has said it will permit gradual reopening of the manufacturing sector, with effect from tomorrow, April 21, 2020, but with a whole set of pre-conditions and norms to be observed.

Maruti Suzuki has drawn up an internal plan that can be immediately implemented if it obtains the approval of the government to restart operations.

Among the changes made inside the Maruti plant is a disinfectant tunnel through with the employees will have to pass. They will then be tested for their body temperature before being allowed to proceed to their workplace.

There are standard operating procedures in place, which include maintaining a 2-metre distance between employees and so on.

The company wants to start with a plan to operate the factory at 50% capacity. The workers may be split into two and asked to report on alternate days for work. The company will also arrange to have adequate medical facilities and personnel in their premises to deal with any unforeseen emergencies. A detailed list of do’s and don’ts has also been prepared and sent to all employees. A dedicated app Wellness Mitra has been developed and employees have been advised to keep a close watch on this.

As reported, Maruti Suzuki has entered into production of ventilators in collaboration with AgVa Healthcare. Meanwhile, two of its component vendors, Krishna Maruti Limited and Bharat Seats Limited, have also been pressed into manufacturing masks and protective clothing. Both these companies are joint ventures in India with investments by Suzuki Japan.

There is no clarity on the exact production schedule that the company plans to adopt if and when the operations resume.