Conveyor lines in border states slow down for security amid India-Pakistan escalation
Kolkata|New Delhi: Several Indian manufacturers are effecting operational changes, including work timings, at their factories in the border states of Gujarat, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. Through these measures, companies are looking to safeguard workforce while ensuring minimum disruption to production amid the conflict with Pakistan.Several areas which have been targeted by Pakistan have enforced blackouts and other measures to protect local population.Companies such as Amul, Awl Agri Business, Dabur, ITC, Dixon Technologies, Godrej Appliances, Mahindra Group-owned Swaraj Tractors and International Tractors have seen operations disrupted in the past two days. Some have either stopped factory night shifts or reduced timings. Others are encouraging their migrant workforce to return to their native places.
Supply Chains Disrupted "We are shutting down night shift immediately in our plant in Ludhiana to ensure worker safety," said Atul Lall, managing director at Dixon Technologies, the largest home-grown electronics contract manufacturer.A Dabur India spokesperson said it has decided to halt operations at its Jammu factory after sunset till Sunday, and will review the situation on Monday. He said the company has allowed outstation employees to leave for their hometowns.Chief executive of AWL Agri Business, India's largest packaged edible oil producer, Angshu Mallick said it has relocated its entire inventory from its plant in Punjab's Firozpur town, bordering Pakistan. The plant produced packaged rice. "Night shift has stopped, and we may further curtail day shift. We are also closely monitoring the situation at our Mundra plant," he said.Dairy brand Amul has also tweaked operations and supply timings at its Amritsar plant due to blackouts. "We have to run operations at night since milk is an essential commodity. But we are also supplying more during the daytime in affected places," said Jayen Mehta, its managing director.Executives say operations were impacted across industrial units in the Chandigarh-Mohali belt on Thursday, including at Swaraj Tractors. Work was also disrupted at Sonalika Group's International Tractors (ITL), at its plant in Hoshiarpur in Punjab.ITL and Mahindra Group did not respond to email queries. ITC has a food park in Kapurthala in Punjab, which also faced attacks by Pakistan.Companies have, however, finalised contingency plans in case the situation turns volatile, industry executives said.The blackouts in Punjab have caused significant losses in production across sectors, with power-dependent industries in Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh and Jalandhar-especially textiles, auto parts, and steel-reporting suspension or slowdown in operations.Further, many small and medium enterprises, which do not have backup generators, are being forced to shut operations during blackouts, according to a Confederation of Indian Industry official in Punjab. The official added that several companies in the state are getting frequent calls from clients-both domestic and international.
Supply Chains Disrupted "We are shutting down night shift immediately in our plant in Ludhiana to ensure worker safety," said Atul Lall, managing director at Dixon Technologies, the largest home-grown electronics contract manufacturer.A Dabur India spokesperson said it has decided to halt operations at its Jammu factory after sunset till Sunday, and will review the situation on Monday. He said the company has allowed outstation employees to leave for their hometowns.Chief executive of AWL Agri Business, India's largest packaged edible oil producer, Angshu Mallick said it has relocated its entire inventory from its plant in Punjab's Firozpur town, bordering Pakistan. The plant produced packaged rice. "Night shift has stopped, and we may further curtail day shift. We are also closely monitoring the situation at our Mundra plant," he said.Dairy brand Amul has also tweaked operations and supply timings at its Amritsar plant due to blackouts. "We have to run operations at night since milk is an essential commodity. But we are also supplying more during the daytime in affected places," said Jayen Mehta, its managing director.Executives say operations were impacted across industrial units in the Chandigarh-Mohali belt on Thursday, including at Swaraj Tractors. Work was also disrupted at Sonalika Group's International Tractors (ITL), at its plant in Hoshiarpur in Punjab.ITL and Mahindra Group did not respond to email queries. ITC has a food park in Kapurthala in Punjab, which also faced attacks by Pakistan.Companies have, however, finalised contingency plans in case the situation turns volatile, industry executives said.The blackouts in Punjab have caused significant losses in production across sectors, with power-dependent industries in Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh and Jalandhar-especially textiles, auto parts, and steel-reporting suspension or slowdown in operations.Further, many small and medium enterprises, which do not have backup generators, are being forced to shut operations during blackouts, according to a Confederation of Indian Industry official in Punjab. The official added that several companies in the state are getting frequent calls from clients-both domestic and international.
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