NE BUSINESS BUREAU
CHENNAI, SEPT 13
Two days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin visited Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, and urged its top management to restart production in his state, Ford Motor Company heeded to his request, says a TN Government release.
Ford Motor Company said on Friday it plans to restart its factory in Chennai and use it for exports, marking the automaker’s intent to reenter the Indian market after announcing exit in September 2021.
- This step aims to underscore our ongoing commitment to India as we intend to leverage the manufacturing expertise available in Tamil Nadu to serve new global markets: Kay Hart, president of Ford’s international markets group
Ford stopped production at the Maraimalai Nagar factory in August 2022. Kay Hart, president of Ford’s international markets group, said the company has submitted a letter of intent to the Tamil Nadu government.
“I am pleased to share that today (Friday) we are announcing that we have submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Government of Tamil Nadu in India, outlining Ford’s intention to utilize our Chennai plant for manufacturing for export,” Hart said.
The Maraimalai Nagar factory will be repurposed to focus on manufacturing for export to global markets, as part of the company’s ambitious Ford+ growth plan.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Tamil Nadu Government as we explored different options for the Chennai plant,” said Hart.
“This step aims to underscore our ongoing commitment to India as we intend to leverage the manufacturing expertise available in Tamil Nadu to serve new global markets,” Hart added.
