28-09-2020

Six months after the lockdown was announced, the automotive sector in Gurugram has nearly managed to reach earlier levels of production as it pulls out all stops to make the festive season count after losing an entire quarter.

Around 70% of migrant workers employed in the sector in the Gurugram-Manesar region, which accounts for nearly 50% of India�s vehicle production, have returned, said industry sources. The industry has bepreen buoyed by a steady uptick in demand, particularly of two-wheelers.

The other big employment generator in the region � the garment industry � is, however, yet to emerge from crisis since there are no fresh orders from the European and US markets. Most units in the sector are functioning at only 40-50% of their capacity, affecting the livelihoods of many workers. With just around 20% of the pre-lockdown workforce available, the real estate sector is also plodding along.

Auto industry insiders said they have seen the demand solidify since Unlock began in pases. KK Gandhi, who owns an ancillary unit in Gurugram, said, �We are overbooked at the time because the auto majors, especially two-wheelers, have ramped up their production.� Several other manufactures said that the likes of Maruti, Hero and Honda are seeing higher demand than that in the pre-lockdown months and the demand curve has also risen for downstream units.