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Office bearers of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) are meeting health ministry officials Wednesday on the need for taking any extra precautionary measures for the February 5-12 auto expo.
Participation of Chinese Cos Crucial
Organisers told ET more than 20% of the expo’s 40,000 sq meter exhibition area is for China’s companies.
Participation of Chinese automakers are crucial for this year’s expo – the venue is in Greater Noida – as many top companies including BMW, Audi, Ford, Honda and Toyota are staying away from the event. Global presence is largely being led by Chinese players such as BYD, Saic and Great Wall.
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The biggest concern, SIAM officials said, is that the expo will be open to general public from February 6. And that their questions to the ministry will include whether, given the considerable Chinese presence, there should be additional checks like thermal screenings, as have been installed at seven airports, at the venue entrances.
SIAM did not have an estimate at this point on how many executives will be visiting the expo from China. Some Chinese automakers ET spoke to said their teams will not have executives coming in from China.
A senior executive at Great Wall Motors said, “Our management team from China have been in India for the past three weeks. They did not go back to China. We therefore did not face any difficulties on account of the travel advisories issued by the health ministry.”
Rajeev Chaba, president of MG Motor India, told ET: “We have executives coming in from our design centre in the UK for the auto expo. Because of the Chinese New Year holidays, there are no plans of executives coming in from China”.
Chinese companies doing business in India in other areas have started issuing travel guidelines or are considering doing so. Xiaomi, India’s largest smartphone maker, issued an advisory to employees on Tuesday on precautions they need to adopt while travelling to China. It also advised employees to not travel to the coronavirus epicentre Wuhan, and if such travel is urgent, then to do so with added precaution. Xiaomi also detailed measures employees need to take if they fall sick within one month of coming back from China. Realme too has issued such an advisory for its India team and has suspended travel plan of Chinese executives to India.
But some Chinese companies like OnePlus and Haier have not yet announced any specific advisories but said there is currently no travel to and from China due to Lunar New Year celebrations and holidays there.
Haier Appliances India president Eric Braganza said the company will review the scenario mid-February when the holidays are over and then issue advisory and travel guidelines, if required. OnePlus India country head Vikas Agarwal said right now there is no travel requirement to China and the company will evaluate the situation later.
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