Ford India Lays Foundation for its Plant at Sanand

Ford India is laid the foundation stone for its new US$1 billion manufacturing facility in Sanand. The company also believes that it has laid the foundation stone for its future growth on the subcontinent. 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.   

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.

The ceremony was held at the 460-acre plant site. Michael Boneham, Ford India’s president and MD, was joined by Industry Secretary, Government of Gujarat, Maheswar Sahu and Felix Guillen, Ford’s executive director of manufacturing, for Asia Pacific & Africa.

The new 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.

“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.”

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