Tag: Manesar plant

HMSI inaugurates new engine assembly line for CKD exports in Manesar

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), on Friday, inaugurated a new engine assembly line at its Global Resource Factory in Manesar, Gurugram. The two-wheeler manufacturer’s this assembly line will focus on Completely Knocked Down (CKD) exports.

The new assembly line can manufacture 600 engines per day, producing engines for models ranging from 110cc to 300cc, revealed HMSI in a company statement.

Mr. Tsutsumu Otani, Managing Director, President & CEO of HMSI, expressed his delight at the inauguration. He said, “We are happy to introduce a new engine assembly line for CKD exports at our Global Resource Factory in Manesar. It is a testament to our relentless pursuit of driving technological advancements in the industry.”

Also Read: Indian auto industry sees 12.5% rise in domestic sales, SUVs lead with 25.8% growth: SIAM

As per the company, the new CKD engine assembly line features quality themes such as DC tools for critical torquing, a vision camera inspection system and complete traceability of parts & processes.

It also includes automation technologies like a flywheel assembly automation system for tightening & torquing, an automatic piston parts verification system and a small parts interlocking unit that ensures error-free processes.

Interestingly, HMSI’s Global Resource Factory, established in 2001, was Honda’s first two-wheeler manufacturing facility in India.

HMSI currently exports to 58 markets, including Europe, Central & Latin America, the Middle East, South-East Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and SAARC nations.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

RC Bhargava: Maruti Suzuki to resume production with 50% workforce at Manesar plant

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava on Tuesday said that the carmaker will resume partial operations at their Manesar plant in Haryana with a 50 percent workforce. He also said that the company is allowed to start operations with one shift now and it will focus on a limited number of models.

Bhargava said the company will be able to assess the demand-side situation only after a few weeks.

“I don’t think we know the demand situation yet because it is too early, the dealerships have recently started functioning, but not all of them are functioning. The level of inquiries is quite respectable but at the moment there is a supply-side constraint,” he said.

Given the ongoing restrictions and reduced manpower capacity, it will bound to have an impact on the overall volumes, Bhargava said.

“I don’t think we can produce much more than what we are doing because in each shift normally one works for 8 hours but because of these various restrictions, which are there, the working hours will effectively come down to around 6.5 hours in a shift. That itself reduces capacity. Then we are doing only one shift, then you will see how much restrictions there are on the volumes which can be produced.”

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A clear picture of the demand side, however, will emerge after 2-3 weeks, the Maruti Suzuki chairman said.

“We have to have the dealers working for at least 2-3 weeks before we know what is happening in the market. Some of our suppliers are in containment zones. Therefore they cannot produce in those areas. We have had to look for alternative suppliers. Some models cannot be produced because those components cannot be found. So we have to adjust the production volumes and the models also in accordance with the supply chain. There is no certainty as to which supplier will remain a supplier and that he will not come under a containment zone in the next 10 days,” Bhargava added.

On top of it, there will be a temporary labour shortage issue due to lockdown and the movement of migrant workers.

“There can be a problem in that also because many of the people who were temporary workers in our Manesar plant have gone back to their villages. I think they will come back but it is not certain when they will be able to come back. As the vendours step up production and get back to shift-working, many of them could have problems of labours,” he added.

Bhargava also said that India’s largest carmaker has given cash advance against supplies to many of its vendors. Overall, the industry could end up with 20-25 percent less sales compared to last year.

Bhargava also said that cars are taxed very heavily in the country, making the affordability of cars an issue. He expressed hope that the government will keep taxes on cars at a reasonable level.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Maruti resumes operations at Manesar plant on single shift basis

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday said it has resumed operations at its Manesar plant in Haryana after around 40 days of closure due to the coronavirus-led lockdown. Operations at both Manesar and Gurugram facilities were suspended since March 22.

“Production has commenced at the Manesar plant and the first car would roll out today (Tuesday),” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman R C Bhargava told PTI.

The facility has commenced operations on a single shift basis with up to 75 percent employees allowed currently, he added.

When asked about the timeline of full-swing operations, Bhargava said that would depend on government regulations like when two shifts would be allowed, when manpower could be increased and when supply chain would become fitter. ?There are many variables involved.”

Also Read: After zero retail sales in April, auto industry will hold production and focus on prepping facilities with maintenance works

On restarting manufacturing activities at Gurugram facility, he said “it will start, but not yet”.

On April 22, the Haryana government had granted permission to the auto major to restart its Manesar manufacturing facility, but the company had said it will resume operations only when it can maintain continuous production and sell vehicles, “which is not possible at this point of time”.

The Gurugram district administration had allowed the auto major to run the facility on a single shift basis, while fixing the total number of employees at plant at 4,696.

MSI’s Manesar plant is outside the limits of Gurugram Municipal Corporation, while its Gurugram plant falls within the city limits.

The two plants in Haryana have an installed capacity to roll out 15.5 lakh units per annum.

When asked how the lockdown would impact industry sales this fiscal, Bhargava said that in current circumstances it was too early to forecast.

He, however, pointed that cars in the country were among most highly taxed in the world.

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“I have always held that cars are too heavily taxed in India by both the central government as well by the as state governments… The result is that carmakers in India pay much higher taxes than in most other developed parts of world,” he noted.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Revolt launches India’s first all-electric motorcycle RV400; pre-bookings begin on June 25

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Revolt founder Rahul Sharma, who had earlier founded mobile phone maker Micromax, launched India’s first artificial intelligence (AI)- enabled electric motorcycle called RV 400 on Tuesday.

The RV 400 can be started with a swipe on your mobile phone and can be charged at home. The company claims the motorcycle will give you a range of 156 kilometres. The price of this motorcycle will be revealed on June 25.

“We have already thought about what are the problem points, pain-points in the adoption of electric vehicle (EV) in this country. Number one was the design and performance. If you see the design and see the performance, our team has just completely nailed it. The product looks beautiful and it is aspirational and it is stunning,” Sharma told CNBC-TV18.

“About the charging infrastructure, there are four different ways you can charge this product at your home. One is easy onboard charging which is normal 15-ampere socket, you can just plug in and you can charge it. Number two is the battery is portable. You can take out the battery, charge it at your home, come back in the morning, put it back and go. Third – we are using swapping stations. So if you are not able to charge it at your home, go to our swapping stations change your battery, it takes two minutes. Four is if you are not able to go just press a button, somebody will come from our team and deliver a battery at your home,” said Revolt founder Rahul Sharma.

In terms of infrastructure in setting up the charging stations, Sharma said, “Our total capex in this whole project is going to be around Rs 400-500 crore. the production capacity right now at Manesar plant is one lakh twenty thousand bikes on an yearly basis, so that is in phase-I. Let us see what sort of response do we get. If we get more, certainly it is a good problem to have.”

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow