Ford, BMW, Renault India units halt output as rains lash Chennai
1 min read . Updated: 02 Dec 2015, 02:38 AM IST
PremiumThe US carmaker said it closed its largest Indian plant on Tuesday as employees were unable to reach work as many of the city's low-lying areas were inundated
Mumbai/Chennai: Ford Motor Co., BMW AG and Renault SA were among manufacturers that halted production at their factories in India as monsoon rains lashed Chennai, flooding many neighbourhoods and disrupting public transport.
The US carmaker said it closed its largest Indian plant on Tuesday as employees were unable to reach work as many of the city’s low-lying areas were inundated. The German company also shut down its operations for the day, while a spokeswoman for Renault said the French automaker cancelled two production shifts.
This is the second stoppage in a month caused by heavy showers as the city witnessed a record 1,218.6 millimeters of precipitation in November, according to weather forecaster Skymet. The northeast monsoon that typically sets between October and December over India’s east coast, where Chennai is located, is usually accompanied by cyclones and depressions.
The city, a local hub for many manufacturers of vehicles and manufacturers of auto components, is also home to factories of Hyundai Motor Co., Ashok Leyland Ltd. and Daimler AG’s truck business.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai forecasts extremely heavy rain in the city over the next four days. Bloomberg
