Ford Motor, a US automaker, has announced its comeback in India. The company will restart its manufacturing plant in Chennai with the aim of boosting exports. Ford plans to hire an additional 2,500-3,000 employees as part of this initiative. According to Kay Hart, President of Ford International Markets Group, the decision is a demonstration of the company's ongoing commitment to India. They intend to utilise the manufacturing expertise available in Tamil Nadu to cater to new global markets. So, the company might not sell its vehicles in India.
In a LinkedIn post, Kay Hart mentioned that the company has submitted a letter of intent to the government of Tamil Nadu, outlining their intention to use the Chennai plant for manufacturing for export. This decision comes after several meetings with the Tamil Nadu government, and Ford appreciates their support throughout the process.
The company plans to share more details about the type of manufacturing and the export markets they will focus on in due course. Ford Motor had ceased its operations in India in 2021 due to low sales and financial losses in the highly competitive domestic automotive market.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also expressed his enthusiasm about renewing Ford's three-decade partnership with Tamil Nadu for global manufacturing. He had engaging discussions with the Ford Motor team.
Kay Hart added that this decision will contribute to the growth of Ford's employee base in Chennai. The global Ford Business Solutions team, already over 12,000 strong, is expected to grow by an additional 2,500 to 3,000 team members in the coming years. Ford also has its engine manufacturing team based in Sanand, Gujarat, and India is the US automaker’s second-largest employee base worldwide.
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Inputs from IANS
