Hyundai Motor India will suspend vehicle production at its Chennai facility from Monday till further notice as a measure to stop the spread of coronavirus, the company has said.
In a statement late on Sunday night, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said, "We will await further notifications from the state (Tamil Nadu) government to resume operations at the plant."
Asserting that the safety, health and hygiene of the company's employees, customers, business partners and the communities are of utmost priority in every situation, HMIL said under the Hyundai Cares Program, various initiatives have been taken such as roadside assistance to customers in case of any emergency.
Customers who are not able to avail vehicle warranty or extended warranty or free service due to health emergency or dealership shutdown in affected cities, HMIL will offer extended support of two months, the release stated. Moreover, some 1,000 doorstep advantage bikes and emergency road service cars will provide any assistance to customers as part of the safety initiatives, the company said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has shut its borders to non-essential vehicular movements between its neighbouring states of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The government of India has also recommended three districts in the state to be locked down completely in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will be taking a final call on the recommendation after consulting with the district collectors of Chennai, Erode and Kancheepuram on Monday. The state government has also restricted public transport across Chennai till March 31. Only 50% of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus fleet will be operational in the city, while the Chennai Metro rail has completely suspended operations till March 31.