Osamu Suzuki optimistic about production at Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki, India's leading company in the passenger car segment, is slated to roll out as many as 800 to 850 cars per day from the company's production unit in Manesar. These results are expected to be obtained in the first half of September so that production is smooth by the third quarter of fiscal year 2012.

“We want to produce about 800 to 850 vehicles (a day) in the first half of this month. As of September 4, we have reached 670 vehicles, so this is likely,” Chairman Osamu Suzuki was quoted as saying in a press conference in Tokyo. A rift between management and workers took place in the company in the month of July in which a management personnel was killed and several others were injured. It soon turned into a major agitation which eventually resulted in prolonged lockout of the unit lasting for more than a month.

Numerous workers of the unit were relieved from their duties with immediate effect and several others left on their own accord. The extensive unit, which had employed more than 4000 workers, has a manpower comprising not more than 1400 workers currently. Meanwhile, the Gurgaon plant has started the production of the new Swift Dzire and is in the process of clearing the pending deliveries of more than 65,000 units with a waiting period of more than 4 months.

“Now the Gurgaon plant has also started manufacturing the new Dzire after the lockout at the Manesar plant was lifted” said S Maitra, chief operating officer, supply chain, Maruti Suzuki India. He further added, “We are doing this because we have a big backlog and a long waiting list. We want to clear it.”

M M Singh, MSI Chief Operating Office (Production), sounded optimistic and remarked,” Last year we had a total production of one million units and this year we are looking at 10 per cent more.” So far, Maruti Suzuki has witnessed a dip of a formidable 40.8 per cent and total sales in the month of August were only 54,154 units.