COVID-19 Crisis: Maruti Suzuki India Extends Maintenance Shutdown Till May 16, 2021

Last month, Maruti Suzuki India had announced that both its Gurugram and Manesar plants would remain shut from May 1 to May 9, 2021, due to annual maintenance work. The carmaker has now announced an extension of its annual maintenance program till May 16, 2021, through a regulatory filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Suzuki Motor Gujarat, the wholly-owned plant of Maruti's parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation also took the same decision for its factory.

Also Read: COVID-19: Maruti Advances Annual Maintenance Shutdown To Coincide With Govt Call To Halt Industrial Use Of Oxygen

The carmaker confirmed that some activities will continue at the plants

The Indo-Japanese carmaker took this decision given the current COVID-19 situation in the country. However, some activities will continue at the plants.

This decision of Maruti Suzuki coincides with the Government of India's call to OEMs to free up industrial oxygen consumption, which could instead be used for medical purpose.

Maruti Suzuki's production in the month of April 2021 stood at 159,955 units, recording a seven per cent drop when compared to 172,433 units produced in March 2021. In a regulatory filing, Maruti Suzuki said, "There was no production in April 2020 due to COVID -19 related lockdown. A comparison between April 2021 production volume and that of April 2020 doesn't have any meaning."

Maruti Suzuki's production in April dropped by 7 per cent, to 159,955 units

As far as sales are concerned, the carmaker recorded a month-on-month (MoM) sales growth of 2.37 per cent in April 2021 selling 1,59,691 units as compared to 1,55,983 units sold in March 2021. Maruti Suzuki recorded nil sales in April last year when the entire nation was under a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, compared to sales in the corresponding month in 2019, the company has recorded 11.48 per cent growth as it sold just 1,43,245 units.