New Delhi: The government has sought help from automobile manufacturers in ramping up production of ventilators and other medical gear as it attempts to check spread of the novel coronavirus. .
The Centre has approached Hero MotoCorp Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, Tata Motors Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd to help manufacture ventilators, company sources told Cogencis.
"The secretary, heavy industries, has reached out to ACMA on how the components industry can help in making masks, sanitisers, and ventilators," said Vinnie Mehta, director general of Automotive Components Manufacturers Association. R.C. Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, India's largest passenger carmaker, said the government had approached the company to manufacture ventilators.
"It's only yesterday (Tuesday) that (we) were approached as to whether we can get involved in making ventilators. ...we are now looking into it, what exactly the product is and what its production requires...," Bhargava told NDTV. "And we're hoping that very quickly, in a day or two, we will be able to tell what we can do or not do."
An official at a large domestic two-wheeler manufacturer said: "Currently our factories (are) shut down as per government directions...to manufacture ventilators, we will have to come up with a plan to restart some of our factories. Those discussions are happening with the government."
