Air conditioning firm Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India said it has resumed operations at its Gujarat manufacturing facility. Manufacturers have been allowed to begin production in non-hotspot locations as the coronavirus-led (COVID-19) lockdown continues with some relaxations.
Gurmeet Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India said following government guidelines and abiding by the approved list of activities, the company has been able to successfully start its operations with utmost safety measures.
“We have fully sanitized and opened our Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur offices today following operational guidelines of 33 percent staff strength. Our Delhi office started with a very thin attendance as many staff members come from other areas around Delhi and movement is still restricted in these areas,” he added.
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The company has begun production activity at its manufacturing facility in Kadi, Gujarat. Singh explained that this production facility started with around 350 operators today and expecting the full workforce to join from tomorrow.
Considering the inventory stock, he added the room air conditioner production may not happen for at least next few days of opening.
“Some export orders need to be produced and we will leverage our workforce to complete the orders on priority. We are going to address the supply chain issue by following a very high level of indigenization in the raw materials,” he added.
Johnson Controls–Hitachi Air Conditioning was set up in October 2015 as a joint venture between Hitachi Appliances (now Hitachi Global Life Solutions) and Johnson Controls. Hitachi Appliances carved out and contributed its air conditioning business to the joint venture.
Johnson Controls acquired a 60 percent stake of the carved-out business and Hitachi Global Life Solutions continues as a 40 percent shareholder of this venture.
As far as the staff members are concerned, Singh said the government order of allowing private vehicles carrying passengers to work has been well understood till the last point.
According to him, the police personnel have also been supportive to allow travel for essential workers.
Most of the plant workers stay near our manufacturing plant. For the rest, travelling from Ahmedabad to our plant and head office in Kadi, we already provide conveyance facilities. The company said it is maintaining social distance in office transport, sanitisers are available and the vehicles are also sanitised regularly.
Right now, India has been divided into red, orange and green zones. Manufacturing facilities in non-hotspot regions and in green zones are allowed to resume operations if the basic safety standards are maintained.
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