Maruti Suzuki may start operations at Manesar plant from August 21, 2012

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), India's largest car manufacturer, has postponed the proposal of reopening its locked-down Manesar plant till August 17, 2012 and is anticipated to start the operations from August 21, 2012. The decision to defer the proposal came after the top management executives and state government had a meeting on the said issue. According to Chief Operating Officer (COO), Administration, MSIL, S.Y. Siddiqui, “We may be able to complete the total assessment of the situation at the Manesar plant by Friday and expect a clear picture to emerge regarding the reopening of the plant by then.”

The meeting of the Maruti Suzuki’s top brass took place on August 13, 2012 to discuss the extent of damage, condition of the injured workers and the results of the ongoing investigation. Company’s Manesar plant is in a lockout condition since July 21, 2012 following the violent riot that took place on July 18, 2012. At that time, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, R.C. Bhargava, commented, “To me, what is more important is safety of my colleagues than producing some cars to make some money.”

At the same time Bhargava said that the auto major is not pondering upon closing the Manesar plant and will only prove the inefficiency on the part of Maruti Suzuki if it takes longer than six months to resume operations at the same.

However, according to senior officials of Maruti Suzuki India, the car maker is quite keen upon commencing the production before the visit of Japanese parent company, Suzuki Motor. Notably, the Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Osamu Suzuki will embark on a five day trip to India, starting August 22, 2012, to test the waters at Manesar and to inspect the ongoing work of a new plant in Gujarat.

In the aforementioned meeting that took place on August 13, 2012, the state government of Haryana ensured that the top management of the company will have the maximum possible safety in its premises. For this purpose, the government has planned to post a rapid action force at the location; also the car maker has decided to revoke the services of all the contract workers at its shop floor.