Two wheeler manufacturers have started operations in India. Others are yet to begin. Let’s look at the details
TVS Motor has commenced its operations in India across all factories in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh. The safety of employees and community is of paramount importance to TVS Motor Company. A comprehensive preparedness manual has been designed for employees to ensure complete adherence to necessary safety guidelines to help minimise the spread of the virus. At all its manufacturing facilities, the company has undertaken exhaustive measures to ensure safe workplace for employees with appropriate social distancing and highest standards of hygiene. Work from Home option also continues for certain category of people, in adherence to respective state government guidelines.
Bajaj Auto has commenced reopening of dealerships and service centres in various parts of the country from the 4th May 2020. This recommencement of facilities is as per the various guidelines by the Central and State government with the dealerships taking permission from the respective local authorities. All the touch points are following mandated protocols to ensure the safety of customers and dealer staff.
All the facilities have been have been sanitized prior to restart of business. There are social distancing protocols in place at all customer facing touch points at dealerships. Mandatory thermal screening at the entrance and regular monitoring of employees’ health is being done to ensure a completely safe environment at dealership and service locations.
Commenting on the same, Mr Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto Ltd said “India is gearing up for the new normal post the COVID19 pandemic and so are we at Bajaj Auto. The opening of workshops and dealerships is another step towards making a fresh start. To ensure safety, speed and efficiency with minimal contact, a new workflow processes has been put in place for both Sales & Service.”
He further added, “We had earlier announced the extension of free services and warranty for customers. We have now also prioritised commencement of workshops to ensure that the vehicle service requirements of all our existing customers are met. Our engineers and workshops are now geared up to ensure that all service requests are met at the earliest to provide a hassle-free commute to our customers.” Customers can reach out on the toll free number: 7219821111 to check the status of the dealership or service centre in different cities.
Hero MotoCorp has commenced its retail operations with the re-opening of more than 1500 customer touch-points including authorized dealerships and service centers. These outlets contribute to around 30% of the Company’s total domestic retail sales. 10,000 units of motorcycles and scooters have already been sold since the reopening of these customer touch points. Keeping the safety and wellbeing of everyone as top-most priority, the Company has issued a Restart Manual to all its Dealerships, Service Centers and Parts distributors.
Hero MotoCorp also commenced vehicle dispatches from its manufacturing facilities for the current fiscal year (FY’21) on Thursday, May 7. All of Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing facilities across the globe had halted operations since March 22 as a precautionary preventive measure against COVID-19. On May 4, Hero MotoCorp became the first two-wheeler manufacturer in the country to resume operations after it reopened three of its manufacturing plants at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana and Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
In addition to sharing the restart manuals with dealer partners and parts distributors, Hero MotoCorp has also conducted intense training programs though webinars reaching to 700 internal sales, after-sales employees and over 7000 customer touch-points, already. Besides English and Hindi, the Company has released the restart manuals in 10 regional languages, which have proven immensely helpful in rural and interior areas. The manuals have a lot of visuals that accurately yet simplistically convey all crucial aspects to be followed. It is also providing guidance on the acquisition of key safety materials such as masks, gloves, sanitizers, disinfectants, and other equipment to the dealers.
The elaborate restart manuals cover the whole breadth of activities for restarting operations, from pre-opening preparations to monitoring & operating protocols post restart. The manuals provide guidance on –
· Deep cleaning
· Fumigation
· Safety marking of the channel point
· Rearrangements at the channel point to ensure social distancing
· Seating, washroom, work-station, equipment hygiene
· Staggered break times, staff/ customer entry protocols, use of PPEs
· Encouraging digital payments, careful handling of documents/credit cards/cash
· Staff training, entry protocols, social distancing, customer entry protocols
· Use of PPEs such as masks, gloves
The manuals also cover various other aspects like Pre-delivery inspection (PDI), delivery norms, home delivery, pre-booking to avoid customer rush, social distancing protocol in workshop, hygiene/care of tools, vehicle pick-up and drop protocols, and creation of waiting areas.
Hero MotoCorp had recently also shared similar Safety Manuals with its employees as operations commenced at its three manufacturing facilities. The Manuals for operations employees focused on safety and hygiene measures to be followed within plant premises. The Company is maintaining strict procedures to ensure hygienic workplaces by ensuring measures such as thorough sanitization of all workplaces regularly, sanitization of buses, shuttles and other official vehicles after each trip, deep cleaning and sanitization before daily shift commencement.
Honda 2 Wheelers India today shared that post Government relaxation of rules, its dealerships are now step-wise moving towards a new way of doing business. At the same time, Honda continues to take added measures to provide liquidity support to its dealer family in these challenging times.
With Safety Comes First approach, Honda says lets together Break the Chain of COVID-19. As a responsible manufacturer, Honda 2Wheelers India has issued a comprehensive Dealership Operations Resumption Manual. All Honda dealer showrooms and workshops are adhering to strict safety & health protocols while ensuring social distancing between staff and customers to effectively Break the Chain.
Meanwhile, following the various state Governments guidelines and respecting Red, Orange & Green zoning in letter & spirit, Honda dealer showrooms and workshops have started reopening their shutters with effect from 4th May, 2020. Honda dealers are ensuring 100% adherence to all the mandated safety, sanitization and social distancing protocols, before re-start of their respective operations.
Elaborating on how Honda as a responsible corporate is prioritizing customer safety and business continuity at its dealer partners in these uncertain times, Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In these challenging times, Honda 2Wheelers India proactively extended a comprehensive financial support package for its dealers. We have also decided to bear additional 19 days’ interest making it a total of 40 days of interest cost by Honda on the BSVI inventory at our dealers. We are confident that the overall support extended will largely ease business continuity concern of our dealers. Also, with significant easing of economic activities restrictions by the government, we are moving forward cautiously in a stepwise manner. Safeguarding all stakeholders’ health & well-being, our dealers who are in green and orange zones are starting their operations to serve our customers. Honda family reassures its customers that your Safety comes First at every Honda outlet across India.”
Parallel-y, Honda and many of their dealer partners, as One Honda family continue to proactively fight for the cause and contribute to the society during this COVID-19 crisis. On April 1st, Honda India foundation – the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Honda group companies in India pledged 11 crore aid towards COVID-19 relief and preventive measures. Honda Associates across all 5 Honda group companies too have voluntarily pledged to donate their 1 day’s salary towards the total relief aid. Across India, dealers too have contributed through free distribution of meals & food grains to the needy, Free masks & sanitizer distribution, funds donation to State/ Central Government etc.
Company’s manufacturing operations were suspended on March 23, 2020 in line with Government directives of lockdown to curtail the spread of COVID-19 Subsequent to the new directives issued by the Government on May 1, 2020 with regards toresumption of manufacturing, industrial and commercial business activities, Royal Enfield has
resumed operations at its manufacturing facilities starting May 6, 2020.
Our manufacturing unit at Oragadam, near Chennai, India will be the first to begin operationsin a staggered manner, with minimal staff over a single shift. Employees and shop floor staff residing in and around plant locations will be aligned to work in these units so as to avoid long-distance travel and minimise contact during transportation. There will be complete compliance to norms of social distancing & workplace sanitization.
Operations at the other two manufacturing facilities – Tiruvottiyur and Vallam Vadagal – will be started in a phased mannerAll other office locations including corporate offices in Chennai, Gurgaon and the UK Technical Centre will continue to remain closed, and employees will work from home as of now. While the majority of Royal Enfield dealer network will continue to remain closed, around 120 dealerships have begun partial operations. We expect around 300 dealerships, in all, to be operational by mid May with strict safety measures and social distancing norms will be followed at dealerships as well. The company will offer facilities like ‘home test-rides’ to ensure adherence to preventive safety measures. During the period of the lockdown, Royal Enfield has extended warranty and free service validity for a period of two months. Royal Enfield will continue to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action as per regulatory and administrative guidance
