New Delhi, June 4 (IANS): Economic turbulence, along with financial constraints, has pulled curtains on one of India's iconic bicycle brands with Atlas Cycles being forced to shut manufacturing operations due to paucity of funds.

The alarm bells had gone off on Tuesday only when the company informed exchanges that its Sahibabad unit in UP is not in a position to resume manufacturing operations due to financial constraints.

Consequently, all employees at the Sahibabad unit were laid-off with immediate effect from Wednesday "till adequate arrangement of funds is made".

According to Atlas Cycles (Haryana) regulatory filing: "... Post lifting of lockdown with effect from 01.06.2020, Sahibabad Unit of the Company is not in a position to resume manufacturing operations due to financial constraints."

The company - Atlas Cycle Industries - had a modest beginning at Sonepat.

This small beginning was transformed into a 25 acre factory complex in a record period of 12 months in 1951.

In the very first year of operation, 12,000 Atlas Cycles rolled out of the plant.