Maruti to Reopen Riot-Torn India Plant

Next week Maruti Suzuki Ltd. will begin the one- to two-month process of restarting car production at its factory in Manesar, India, which has been closed for a month, according to press reports from India and Japan.

The facility was shuttered after a dispute between workers and managers turned violent. A manager was killed, more than 100 employees were injured and part of the plant was burned.

Tokyo-based The Nikkei, which cites an unidentified company official, says Maruti plans to enlist 500 security guards in Manesar to avoid a repeat of the mayhem. Union officials tell the newspaper that many of the factory's workers are hiding from the police.

The plant makes the Suzuki Swift small hatchback at a rate of 1,700 units per day. Analysts tell The Nikkei that each month of suspended output would cut parent Suzuki's operating profit by about $76 million.