Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Saturday said it would halt production at all its plants, including its largest facility in Chakan, Maharashtra, for up to three days this month.

The utility vehicle manufacturer said this was to align its production with sales requirements, adding that there would be no impact on vehicle availability with dealers.

‘No impact’ “The management does not envisage any adverse impact on availability of vehicles in the market due to adequacy of vehicle stocks to serve market requirements,” said Mahindra & Mahindra in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Last July, the company had stopped production at its plants for up to eight days and again announced in August 2013 that it would stop production at its factories in the following months.

M&M had also halted work at its Igatpuri (Nashik, Maharashtra) plant due to a tool-down strike by the labour union over suspension of two workmen on disciplinary grounds.

Before that the company had observed ‘no production days’ at its tractor plants in Jaipur for five days and Rudrapur for two days between March 24 and 31, 2013.

Declining car sales Other companies, such as carmakers Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors, had also shut their factories for some time to align production with slowing demand.

In 2013, annual car sales in India declined for the first time in 11 years, posting a 9.59 per cent dip, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

> ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in

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