Honda India shuts operations to help COVID-19 patients

The Philippines may still consider itself a bit lucky if we compare our COVID-19 situation with our Asian neighbor, India. Right now, India is struggling with its second wave of COVID-19 infections, with their hospitals are running out of much-needed space for patients and oxygen supply.

To help with this current shortage, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has announced that it will temporarily shut down all of its manufacturing facilities across India from May 1 to 15, 2021. It is hoped the stop of operations will help ease the strain on the supply of oxygen. This will affect four of its facilities which include Manesar (Haryana), Tapukara (Rajasthan), Narsapura (Karnataka), and Vithalapur (Gujarat).

For those who are not familiar, the automotive and motorcycle manufacturing industries are one of the top consumers of liquid oxygen. They use it for a wide array of applications across the manufacturing process of cars and motorcycles.

In lieu of this shutdown, HMSI will then proceed with their annual plant maintenance activities which were originally scheduled sometime in June.

“Depending upon the evolving COVID situation and the market recovery, the company shall be reviewing its production plan in the subsequent months,” HMSI told in a statement.

Besides Honda, Maruti Suzuki, MG Motor India, and Toyota Kirloskar Motor have announced similar initiatives to help ease the demand for oxygen, ensuring the current supply goes to hospitals. Hero MotoCorp, one of India’s largest motorcycle manufacturers, has also announced last week that it will temporarily cease production for a few days.

Our thoughts and prayers for our Indian brothers and sisters.

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