Fact check: Did Nissan wind up its operations in Chennai plant?

Chennai, May 02: Expressing concern over the reported move by Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor to halt the production of Datsun redi-GO car models at its Chennai plant, AIADMK co-ordinator O Panneerselvam urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to immediately intervene and ensure steps to sustain the operations.

''Only the revenues from the sale of spares will be available. Two auto majors have stopped their production in Tamil Nadu in a year. This is not only painful but would also affect the state's economy,'' Panneerselvam said in a statement.

He recalled that US-headquartered Ford had in September last year announced it would stop manufacturing vehicles at its Chennai plant. ''Despite my appeal, the DMK government had not taken initiatives. The plant is now on the verge of closure,'' he claimed.

Dismissing the reports, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the Renault-Nissan firm has informed that the company will scale down the production of the Datsun GO model cars and instead introduce a new model as part of its restructuring policy.

Responding to the statement of Panneerselvam the previous day about the possibility of Nissan unit's closure, Thennarasu said the opposition during its rule made certain major automobile sector investments slip by.

He added that Nissan is going ahead with its operations to meet its domestic and international markets despite the shortage of semiconductors.