GURGAON, India — Apollo Tyres Ltd.'s tire plants in Perambra and Kalamassery, India, are nearly back to full operation following a temporary shutdown and subsequent reduction in operation due to late August flooding.
Apollo said operations were stunted because employees could not access the plants due to high waters caused by monsoon rains in southern India in mid-August. The tire maker noted that all of its employees were accounted for and reported that all were safe.
None of the equipment in the building was damaged as a result of the flooding, but the company estimates loss of production at around 3,000 metric tons. Losses due to natural calamity are "adequately covered" by insurance, Apollo said, adding that it planned to file a claim following an assessment of the total loss.
In a Bombay Stock Exchange filing on Aug. 20, Apollo reported that production at the facilities had halted as a result of the flooding. The company told European Rubber Journal the next day that 30 percent of its workforce had returned.
Since the flooding, Apollo has played a role in the relief efforts throughout the region. The company said it had sent four truckloads of cleaning kits, including disinfectants, detergents, and first aid kits to areas impacted by the flood waters.
Apollo also has helped with removal and safe disposal of waste from flooded homes, and it has supported the deployment of mobile medical vans and doctors who can attend to the immediate health care needs of residents.
Apollo operates four plants in India — in Chennai, Kalamassery, Perambra and Baroda — and early this year laid the foundation stone for a fifth, in Chinnapanduru Village.
The Gurgaon-based tire maker is ranked as the 16th largest in the world based on 2017 tire sales of $2.2 billion, according to Tire Business' most recent Global Tire rankings.