After Tata Motors, the state of Gujarat will see another carmaker launching its manufacturing facility there and this time it is Ford India at Sanand.
Ford currently has a manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu and the auto giant will soon be inaugurating its second plant in India. Ford India will throw open the doors to its Sanand plant on 26th March 2015 and the inauguration ceremony will take place in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and the US Consulate. The plant will also mark the entry of a global auto manufacturer to the vibrant state of Gujarat. Apart from Ford, Tata Motors also has a plant in Sanand but the then Chief Minister in 2012, Mr. Narendra Modi managed to convince Ford India to invest there and hence the plant got commissioned.
Ford India has invested a lot of moolah in this new production facility. A huge sum of USD 1 billion (Rs. 620 crores) has been pumped into the development of this plant. The Sanand plant will help Ford double its manufacturing capacity. In the beginning, the plant will be able to produce approximately 800-900 units every day which translates to 1.4 lakh units a year. Later on when the plant operates at full capacity, it will be able to manufacture 2.5 lakh units annually. Ford will also expand its export markets through this plant from the current 50 to 100-120. The facility will employ around 5000 people for its operations.
The American automaker will be launching three new products this year. The all-new Figo hatchback and the Figo Aspire compact sedan will be manufactured at the Sanand plant. While the hatchback will be launched in September, the sedan is going to hit the markets in July. There will be a great demand for these vehicles if Ford manages to price them sensibly. With such a large manufacturing capacity, hopefully Ford India will be able to cater to the demand and avoid creating long waiting periods for the newly-launched vehicles. The third launch is the new Ford Endeavour which will be assembled at the company’s Chennai facility.
