Ford has announced plans to restart operations at its Chennai plant in Tamil Nadu, marking a significant return to India for the American automaker. Known for popular models like the Endeavour and EcoSport, Ford exited the Indian market in 2021 due to declining sales. The company sold one of its two Indian plants to Tata Motors and intended to shut down the second plant by the second quarter of 2022. However, the shutdown was delayed.
On Friday, Ford submitted a letter of intent to the Tamil Nadu government, signaling its decision to utilize the Chennai plant for export manufacturing. Ford International Markets Group President Kay Hart stated, "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."
Ford has not yet disclosed specifics about the manufacturing plans but promises to provide more information in the near future.