Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Join Fight Against Coronavirus In India

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. has said it will help scale up ventilator production in India while Hyundai Motors is importing diagnostic testing kits as the country's two largest carmakers join the fight against the infectious coronavirus.

In a statement today Maruti Suzuki said it has tied up with ventilator manufacturer AgVa Healthcare to scale up production up to 10,000 units a month. As part of the arrangement, AgVa Healthcare will be responsible for the technology and performance of the ventilators, while Maruti Suzuki will use suppliers to produce the required volume of components, upgrade systems and check quality.

The carmaker will provide these services free of cost to AgVa Healthcare, it added. Production is expected to start as soon as all approvals are received. Besides, Krishna Maruti Ltd., a joint venture of Maruti Suzuki with Ashok Kapur, will be manufacturing 2 million three-ply masks for supply to Haryana and the central government for free.

Hyundai Motor India Foundation, on the other hand, said it is ordering advanced testing kits for coronavirus infection from South Korea. These advanced kits have a very high level of accuracy and can help serve over 25,000 people, it said in a statement.

"Post receiving the shipment, the kits will be distributed in consultation with the Centre, and state governments to the hospitals in affected areas," it added.

Hyundai has also announced initiatives to support customers in these challenging times. Its 24X7 roadside assistance will be available for customers to ensure help in case any demanding situation arises, the company said.

With PTI inputs