Chennai: Ford Motor Company is making a comeback in India, reopening its manufacturing factory in Chennai to enhance exports and recruiting another 2,500-3,000 people, according to an announcement made Friday.
According to Kay Hart, President of Ford International Markets Group, the move is intended to “underscore our ongoing commitment to India as we intend to leverage the manufacturing expertise available in Tamil Nadu to serve new global markets.”
In a LinkedIn post, she said the company has submitted a letter of intent (LOI) to the “government of Tamil Nadu in India, outlining Ford’s intention to utilise our Chennai plant for manufacturing for export.”
The decision follows multiple meetings with the Tamil Nadu government.
“We appreciate their ongoing support as we have explored different options for the plant. I know people will be curious, but we will have more to share about the type of manufacturing and which export markets we’ll be focusing on, along with other details, in due course,” Hart mentioned.
Ford Motor stopped operations in India in 2021 due to low sales and financial losses in the fiercely competitive domestic car industry.
MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, stated on the X social media platform that he had a very engaging chat with the Ford Motor staff.
“Explored the feasibility of renewing Ford’s three-decade partnership with Tamil Nadu, to again make in Tamil Nadu for the world,” he said. The Chief Minister also visited the headquarters of Google, Apple, and Microsoft and entered into MoUs with these tech giants for investments in Tamil Nadu.
According to Hart, the decision will add to Ford’s growing employee base in Chennai.
“Our global Ford Business Solutions team based there is already more than 12,000-strong, and we are planning to increase that by another 2,500 to 3,000 team members in the next few years,” said Hart.
Ford also has an engine manufacturing team in Sanand, Gujarat. India is the US automaker’s second-largest global employment base.
For more updates Subscribe to Media Eye News
–IANS
