Hyundai, Ford, Renault Suspend Operations in Chennai Due to Floods

New Delhi: Auto majors Hyundai, Ford and Renault have temporarily suspended operations at their plants in Chennai due to floods.

"We have suspended three shifts, one last night and two shifts for today, at our plant due to the rain," a Hyundai Motor India Ltd official told PTI.

The company will take a call on resuming operations depending on the rains that have flooded the city, the official added.

Hyundai's Chennai plant has a capacity to produce around 6.8 lakh vehicles annually.

Ford India too has suspended operations at its Chennai plant.

"Continued heavy rains in Chennai have resulted in significant flooding in the area with many roads impassable. For the safety of our employees, we have halted production at our Chennai assembly and engine plants on Wednesday, December 2," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

The company is carefully monitoring the situation and will return to normal operations as soon as conditions improve.

"We will assess the impact once operations return to normal. Our immediate concern is for the continued safety of our employees and the members of the Chennai community," the spokesperson added.

Ford's Chennai plant has a capacity to produce 3.4 lakh engines and 2 lakh cars annually.

Likewise, Renault India said operations at the plant in Chennai have been suspended for a day.

"Today we are not operating at the plant. The safety of our employees is paramount. We are monitoring the situation closely and resumption of operations will depend entirely on the weather improving," Renault India operations country CEO and managing director Sumit Sawhney said.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai has a capacity to roll out up to 4.8 lakh vehicles per year.