Hero MotoCorp said it has sold 10,000 motorcycles and two-wheelers since its dealerships and showrooms opened after a 41-day lockdown earlier this month.
As of today, said the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, it has opened more than 1,500 outlets and service centers which account for around 30% of the company’s total retail sales in India.
On May 4, Hero MotoCorp became the first two-wheeler manufacturer in the country to resume operations after it reopened three of its manufacturing plants at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana and Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
It said it has also started vehicle dispatches from its manufacturing facilities on Thursday, May 7.
“All of Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing facilities across the globe had halted operations since March 22 as a precautionary preventive measure against COVID-19.
“In addition to sharing the restart manuals with dealer partners and parts distributors, Hero MotoCorp has also conducted intense training programs though webinars reaching to 700 internal sales, after-sales employees and over 7000 customer touch-points, already,” the company said.
The company’s reopening manual has guidance on acquisition of key safety materials such as masks, gloves, sanitizers, disinfectants, and other equipment to the dealers.
India started its 41-day lockdown on March 25, but had kept essential services — including agriculture and retailing of food items — open.
On May 2, it allowed some non-essential activities to restart, including factories. However, these factories have to operate under limited capacity and observe strict social distancing norms.
Hero MotoCorp has been the most prompt as far as restarting manufacturing is concerned.
However, most automakers are not in a hurry to restart as moving finished goods and sourcing components and raw materials remain difficult due to various limits and curbs established on the movement of vehicles and people. They also have enough inventory to supply their dealers for a week or two.
Many states still don’t allow non-essential shops, such as vehicle showrooms, to open.