Ford India lays foundation for US$ 1 billion plant at Sanand and growth in India

Ford India is laying the foundation for its new US$1 billion state-of-the-art, integrated manufacturing facility in Sanand and its future growth on the subcontinent. At a ceremony today, Ford India laid the foundation stone at the paint shop area of its new manufacturing facility. When complete in 2014, the integrated manufacturing facility will have the capacity to produce an additional 240,000 new Ford vehicles and 270,000 engines per year for Indian customers and for export markets. The ceremony was held at the 460-acre plant site in Sanand where Michael Boneham, Ford India's president and managing director, was joined by Industry Secretary, Government of Gujarat, Maheswar Sahu and Felix Guillen, Ford's executive director of manufacturing, for Asia Pacific & Africa in recognizing the critical role of the Ford world class facility in Sanand.

“Today we lay the foundation for Ford’s continued expansion in India, and plant the seed for a brighter future for our employees, suppliers, dealers and customers, and for the people of Gujarat and India," said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. "With this new state-of-the-art Ford Integrated Manufacturing Facility for Sanand, we are committed to significantly increasing our manufacturing output and aggressively expanding our business in India.  The vehicles and engines produced at Sanand with India-based, world-class suppliers and partners, will add greatly to the full range of exciting, safe and fuel-efficient vehicles available to Indian customers at tremendous value.”

The new state-of-the-art assembly plant will be fully integrated to support stamping, body assembly, paint, trim and final assembly. The paint shop for which the foundation stone was placed today, will utilize Ford’s environmentally friendly rotational dip technology and 3-Wet technology paint processes, dramatically improving paint quality, depth and durability, as well as significantly reducing Volatile Organic Compounds, CO2 emissions and waste. “Ford is very proud to invest in India during these momentous times of rapid development, economic growth and profound change for India,’’ said Ford's Guillen, during the foundation stone ceremony.  "Both in Chennai and in Sanand, Ford will create a lasting investment, not just in the physical manufacturing facilities that will be constructed here, but an investment in our workforce themselves and in their communities, our suppliers and our partners, in Gujarat and across India." Ford’s total investment in India to date is approximately USD 2 billion, an investment that is expected to grow with the completion of the Sanand integrated manufacturing facility in 2014. 

In addition to the 5000 direct employment jobs created with completion of the manufacturing facility; the completion of this manufacturing facility will spur the creation of thousands of additional indirect jobs in the Gujarat area.  To provide for maximum local sourcing for parts, Ford India’s operations in the state has already attracted 19 high level supply commodities to date that will manufacture components close to the Sanand facility. As part of its continuing aggressive strategy to compete in the dynamic India auto market – most recently seen in the global reveal of the Ford EcoSport at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo -- Ford has announced that it will bring eight new vehicles to India by mid-decade, the first one being the All-New Fiesta, which was launched in July 2011, and has generated tremendous interest with Indian consumers. Ford India leadership indicate that the new world-class products will strengthen Ford’s position in existing segments while driving new growth in others.