Heavy rains cripple production in Chennai units of Ford, BMW, Renault

Heavy rains in Chennai have reportedly disrupted the production of auto manufacturers such as Ford Motor, BMW AG and Renault SA according to a Mint report.

The rains that lashed Chennai have halted the production in their factories in India as many neighbourhoods have been affected by floods and have disrupted public transport. As a result many of the employees of these companies who reside in Chennai's low-lying areas were unable to reach work, said the report.

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Ford reportedly said on Tuesday that its largest Indian plant was closed as its employees were not able to reach work. BMW also had reportedly shut down its operations for a day, while Renault had cancelled two production shifts due to the floods.

This is second time production has had to stop during the month due to the heavy rains that has hit the region. Chennai has recorded 1,218.6 millimetres of rainfall in November, according to Skymet weather forecast.

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Chennai is a centre for many automobile manufacturers and auto component manufacturers. Auto manufacturers such as Hyundai Motors, Ashok Leyland and Daimler AG's truck business also have their factories in Chennai said the report.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) further predicts heavy rainfall in the city over the next four days.