Chennai Floods: Hyundai, Ford, and Renault Suspend Operations

The situation isn't much different with Ford either; the American carmaker also halted production at its Chennai assembly and engine plants on December 2 in consideration of the safety of its employees. A spokesperson for Ford India said, "We will assess the impact once operations return to normal. Our immediate concern is for the continued safety of our employees and the members of the Chennai community."

Also Read: Chennai Rains - Apollo Tyres Halts Production Operation

The weather has wreaked havoc in the city and brought it to a complete halt. The death toll due to the Chennai rains has already crossed 200 and is also expected to cause financial losses in the excess of Rs. 15,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flew into Chennai to asses the situation caused by the Chennai floods.

French carmaker Renault will also recommence operations at its plant only after the weather in Tamil Nadu's capital city improves. "Today we are not operating at the plant. The safety of our employees is paramount. We are monitoring the situation closely and resumption of operations will depend entirely on the weather improving," Renault India Operations Country CEO and Managing Director Sumit Sawhney said.

Also Read - Chennai Floods: Production of Automotive Industrial Hub Disrupted

While Hyundai's plant in Chennai can produce around 6.8 lakh vehicles annually, the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai has a capacity to roll out up to 4.8 lakh vehicles per year. Whereas Ford's Chennai facility has a capacity to produce 3.4 lakh engines and 2 lakh cars annually.