Indian auto brands step up efforts to combat coronavirus

We are all aware the coronavirus scare is far from over, and that auto manufacturers across both two and four wheels having suspended manufacturing to check the spread of the disease. That said, the pandemic has brought in more than just a loss of sales numbers. You may have read about Mahindra’s efforts in setting up manufacturing for ventilators to help the affected. And that’s not all, with the brand now exploring other avenues to check the disease, with other manufacturers taking a cue from this and joining the fray as well.

Mahindra and Mahindra

We already know that Mahindra and Mahindra will produce ventilators that will retail at an affordable price of Rs 7500, as opposed to sophisticated machines, the cost of which goes into many lakhs of rupees. And now the brand has added that it will now be developing a face shield for medical service providers.

Going on Twitter, Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra and Mahindra, revealed the design of the face shield adding that the company has sourced its design from Ford Motor Company and targets to make 500 such face shields during its initial production run set to start today. The face shield will be manufactured by the brand’s associates in Kandivali, Mumbai, which is also the site currently working on producing the ventilators.

Hyundai Motor India

Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India has ordered the COVID-19 advanced diagnostics testing kits from South Korea. About 25000 kits have been ordered, which the brand will distribute in consultation with the Centre and State governments to the hospitals in affected areas across the country.

Besides, Hyundai has also announced initiatives to support customers by providing 24-hour roadside assistance, adding that it has also extended service maintenance period by two months where customers are not able to avail it due to health emergency or dealership shutdown in affected cities.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Maruti Suzuki has joined hands with AgVA Healthcare to make ventilators, face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, adding that it aims to rapidly scale up the production of ventilators to about 10,000 units per month. Maruti Suzuki has said that AgVa Healthcare would be responsible for the technology, performance and related matters for all the ventilators produced and sold by them, while MSIL would not only help arrange finances and obtain all permissions and approvals required to enable the higher production free of cost to AgVA Healthcare, but also use its suppliers to produce the required volume of components and upgrade its systems for the production and quality control of the higher volumes.

Next, the carmaker has mentioned that Krishna Maruti Limited (a JV between Maruti and Ashok Kapur for fabric components like seat covers), would be manufacturing over two million 3-ply masks for supply to the Central as well as State governments. Production of these masks is expected to commence soon as all approvals have been received. Lastly, Bharat Seats Limited, a JV between Maruti and the Relan family, will manufacture protective clothing for healthcare workers.

TVS Motor

TVS Motor, along with die-caster Sundaram-Clayton Ltd (SCL), has tied up with Sastra University to start making ventilators or key parts of the medical apparatus for Covid-19 patients who are not in the highly critical stage. Funded by a Rs 30 crore pledge from Srinivasan Services Trust (the social arm of TVS Motor Company and Sundaram-Clayton Ltd), it will manufacture and supply supportive equipment to those providing essential services.

Firstly, the company will manufacture and distribute one million face masks (through its seat supplier, Harita Seating Systems Limited) to those delivering essential services from healthcare to food supplies. It will also provide tractors mounted with tankers and sprayers for disinfecting towns like Mysuru and Bengaluru (Karnataka), and Krishnagiri, Hosur and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Next, TVS and SCL are using canteen kitchens in Hosur, Padi (Chennai) and Mysuru to make cooked food to be distributed to police, healthcare workers and essential services workers in and around Hosur, Chennai and Mysuru.

Lastly, in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), the company is distributing dry ration kits to daily wage workers who have been displaced, and also to villagers who need food supplies.