Maruti Suzuki Extends Maintenance Shutdown Due To Pandemic

The country's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, said on Saturday it was extending a planned maintenance shutdown until May 16 from May 9 citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was not immediately clear if the shutdown was to ensure safety of its workers or due to lower demand.

The coronavirus pandemic pushed India's passenger vehicle sales to their lowest in six years, annual data from an auto industry body showed last month, with the sector bracing for further fallout from a recent surge in cases.

India on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day COVID-19 deaths, as cases continued to rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns.