Ford Motor to invest Rs 1,300 cr to set up global business centre in Chennai

The new centre may add 2,000 more people and is likely to design cars in the future

US auto major Ford Motor said that it is investing Rs 1,300 crore to set up a new Global Technology and Business Centre in Chennai. The centre may design cars in the future as the new facility will be integrated with the global engineering centre, said company's senior official.

Speaking on the sidelines of IACC's conclave on Indo-US Partnership 'The March towards $100 billion trade' David Dubensky, managing director, Ford Motor Pvt Ltd said that the company will be consolidating IT and IT-enabled services under one roof. The new centre is expected to commence operations in the first quarter (calender year) of 2019.

The company has signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government. However, it did not reveal what the investment is for, at that time.

Currently across these services, Ford employs around 10,000 people across Chennai, Coimbatore, Guragon and other places.

The company plans to add 2,000 more people at this centre, he said.

"One of the reasons Ford decided to invest in Tamil Nadu is quality human resource," said Dubensky.

The new centre will be spread across 28 acres of land and will house an R&D and product testing centre.

Ford Motor will be a co-developer in the sector specific SEZ of IT/ITES at Sholinganallur village in Tamil Nadu developed by Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (ELCOT), a Tamil Nadu Government-run company.

Ford in March 2015 expanded its manufacturing presence and inaugurated its latest integrated vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plant in Sanand, Gujarat with an investment of $1 billion. In total the company invested $2 billion in India.

With manufacturing facilities at Sanand and Chennai, Ford is already showcasing India's manufacturing prowess at a global scale. Vehicles and engines made at these two plants are exported to as many as 50 countries across the globe.