THE GOOD FIGHT

As the world wages its war on covid-19, car and bike makers in India have stepped up efforts to help with the fight

- AATISH MISHRA

IT NOW SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO, BUT it has been just over a month since the nationwide lockdown was imposed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Just a few days before it was announced, news of the virus spreading in India was afloat but the country and its people didn’t seem to fazed by the whole thing. Work was going on as usual, offices were running and heck, even we were gallivanting about creating content for the April issue of the magazine. But then the virus came too close for comfort. Pune was developing into the hotspot it is now, and Maharashtra’s chief Minister announced a lockdown in Mumbai and Pune on March 20, a few days before the national one. It was a mad scramble to get the issue ready – we managed to wrap it up in time but by the time it was printed, there was no way to distribute it and we settled on giving out the issue for free.

Lamborghini is producing face masks at its plant.

The effects of the lockdown, and of covid-19 are massive. The economy is facing a challenge like never before. The automotive industry is hugely affected too, especially since this happened right at the cusp of the BS4-BS6 switch. The industry has a lot at stake. Right from suppliers, to dealers, to customers and even the communities in which they operate – carmakers have a lot of stakeholders that have been affected by the virus. But they have responded. From work from home policies, to donations and manufacturing of medical equipment to help out at this time of crisis, carmakers across the country and the globe are coming together to help their communities. Here are some of the initiatives that have been taken in India: