: Several companies withpresence in Tamil Nadu have commenced operations with limited staff in line with the relaxation of guidelines issued by the government for the third phase of lockdown.While two companies -- Tube Investments of India and auto major BMW Group India -- announced on Thursday that they are resuming operations, two and three-wheeler maker TVS Motor, Royal Enfield and Lakshmi Machine Works have already restarted operations.Tube Investments of India Ltd said it resumed operations in two-thirds of its plant locations, giving paramount regard for health and safety of employees.Tube Investments manufactures products for automotive, railway, construction, mining and agriculture sectors at its 18 manufacturing locations.The city-based Murugappa Group company was awaiting permission from local authorities to resume operations in remaining plant locations.BMW India resumed production at its facility near Chennai adhering to guidelines issued by local authorities.The company said it has commenced local production with less than 50 per cent of regular workforce, BMW Group India said.BMW has a manufacturing unit at neighbouring Singaperumal Koil that produces several range of cars.Following the COVID-19 lockdown during the third week of March, the company had suspended production.TVS Motor said it commenced operations across all factories in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh.Lakshmi Machine Works engaged in manufacturing of textile machinery in Coimbatore said it has resumed operations at its factory with limited workforce.The Coimbatore-based company had suspended operations from March 24 following the government's directive to shut shop to contain the spread of coronavirus.Royal Enfield said it has resumed operations at its manufacturing facility in Oragadam near Chennai.The company, besides its plant at Oragadam, commenced operations at its Thiruvottiyur and Vallam Vadagal facilities.While the Oragadam unit would be the first facility to go on stream, Royal Enfield said the operations would resume in the two other facilities in a phased manner.The company's dealerships have also begun partial operations with around 300 of them expected to be operational by middle of this month.Concrete equipment-maker Schwing Stetter also commenced operation at its Chennai unit which has been shut for nearly 45 days."The facility will now run with the required workforce to meet the initial production demand and will follow all the government's directives on operations", the company said.At the Chennai unit, Schwing Stetter manufactures concrete pavers, kerb and gutter machines, all- terrain cranes, cold milling machines, motor graders among others.The resumption of operations comes after the Centre and various state governments allowed industries to function in green and orange zones, where the coronavirus cases are nil or within certain parameters, since the third phase of lockdown began on May 4.No relaxation is allowed in red zones, where the cases and doubling rates are higher.
