Coronavirus impact: Bajaj Chetak deliveries delayed

Bajaj has suspended bookings on its electric scooter and the deliveries have been delayed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The electric scooter from Bajaj had a very positive response when it was launched in January, the company recorded around 2000 bookings in just 15 days after the commencement of its bookings. The company has recently resumed operations at some of its facilities in a phased manner and the Chetak deliveries have been delayed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic caused disruption.

The electric scooter was introduced to Bengaluru and Pune, the company was planning to expand the reach of the product to other cities across the country. But the spread of COVID-19 forced the government to issue a nationwide lockdown and that has halted the plan for now. The entire lockdown has affected dealerships and production lines critically, the company says there will be a long waiting period for bookings made now and in the future as well. The customers who booked the scooter in February 2020 are yet to receive the delivery.

We can expect delays of other products in the market to go through a similar pattern. The global pandemic has certainly disrupted the flow of supply chains and that has resulted in such delays. Manufacturers are trying their best by introducing financial schemes and lucrative deals to push sales during this lockdown and digital platforms have surfaced for purchase and service facilities.

Bajaj's plan of expanding the product to other cities have been paused for the time being and further bookings have also been suspended. The company will slowly deliver the scooter to the existing customers and study how the product performs in the market, gradually the company will observe the situation and will act accordingly.