With the rise in COVID-19 cases in India, Commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd plans to scale down production and operate plants for only 7-15 days in May and to shut down the units for the remaining part of the month, the company said in a regulatory filing on Monday.

“The operations of our plants have been scaled down and are expected to work for 7 - 15 days in May. We will continue to respond to the COVID-19 situation in the country as it unfolds,” it said in a statement.

According to the health ministry data, India continues to witness more than 3 lakh new COVID cases for 12 consecutive days as total count nears 20 million. The second wave is expected not only to impact the demand outlook for vehicles temporarily but also delay the gradual recovery in the demand for small, medium and heavy trucks.

Ashok Leyland became the sixth manufacturer after Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Maruti Suzuki India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and MG Motor, to announce plant shutdowns amid the second wave of rising COVID-19 cases.

However, It will ensure support for essential parts and aggregates for its fleet of vehicles plying on the roads for the movement of essential goods and services. It has also set up a 24-hour helpline to ensure reduced downtime for the vehicles. The company will also continue to meet the requirements of defence vehicles and revisit all their COVID19 related safety protocols & measures in the  preparation of restart.