India's Worst COVID Crisis... Emergency for Korean Companies Including Samsung and Hyundai Motor

Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment are caring for COVID-19 patients on the 7th (local time) at a temporary ward for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in New Delhi, the capital of India.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Our companies are also facing an emergency situation in India, which is experiencing the worst COVID-19 crisis. Korean companies operating locally are minimizing resident personnel and reducing factory operations.

According to KOTRA on the 9th, about 700 Korean companies have entered India and are operating their workplaces on a limited basis due to the Indian government's lockdown policy.

As of the previous day, India's daily COVID-19 death toll was recorded at 4,187, marking an all-time high. India’s daily new confirmed cases exceeded 400,000 for the first time in the world on the 1st.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, local Korean companies have switched most employees to work-from-home except for the minimum workforce required to operate factories, and some resident employees’ families are reported to be returning to Korea.

Samsung Electronics is operating its Noida smartphone factory and Chennai home appliance factory, while employees have switched to work-from-home. They are also supporting the return of resident employees’ families.

LG Electronics is operating its factories in Noida and Pune with reduced production plans compared to before. LG Electronics is also implementing work-from-home except for essential personnel and supports the return of local resident employees’ families.

Hyundai Motor has switched resident employees working in lockdown areas such as Delhi to work-from-home and suspended weekend overtime at the Chennai factory. The factory operates normally on weekdays.

Hyundai Motor and Kia have repatriated some resident employees’ families via special flights and plan to repatriate those who wish to return and those with underlying health conditions among resident employees’ families in the future.

Hyundai Motor reportedly converted industrial oxygen to medical oxygen due to a shortage of oxygen for COVID-19 treatment locally and urgently changed some automobile production lines to oxygen generator production.