Ford starts recruiting for Sanand plant from state ITIs

At present over 50 per cent of workforce has been recruited from Gujarat

As yet another major automobile plant in the state is all set to go onstream, Ford India starts recruiting for its Sanand plant. The company has started visiting the industrial training institutes in the state to select candidates for operator level recruitment at Sanand plant.

A Ford India spokesperson confirmed the development and said that the Sanand facility would eventually employ 5,000 people once operational in 2014.

"We are progressing as per our plan at our upcoming integrated manufacturing facility at Sanand. At present, we have over 150 engineers on site and are in the process of active hiring," said Kel Kearns, director, manufacturing, Sanand vehicle assembly & engine Plant, Ford India.

Ford currently employs 11,500 people in India across its manufacturing and global business services functions.

Kearns added that, "We have a mix of local talent from Gujarat and first batch of employees transferred from other locations of Ford (including Chennai). At present over 50 per cent of the workforce are recruits from Gujarat and will move to over 70 per cent shortly."

A J Pandey, placement coordinator for ITI Kubernagar said, "Ford had come for recruitments around a week back, and have shortlisted around 18 candidates so far." Final selection is yet to happen. The selected candidates are likely to be sent to Ford's Chennai plant for training. The Gandhinagar and Sarkhej ITIs also offer courses on automotive manufacturing, he said.

Ford India currently operates an integrated vehicle and engine manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai, which produces the new Figo, Classic, Fiesta and the Endeavour.

A placement official at a city-based ITI said that demand for automotive courses has picked up in the recent years, and candidates are also getting offered higher wages.

"On an average if an original equipment maker picks up a candidate, he gets offered anything between Rs 8,000-10,000 a month in the beginning most of the times together with accommodation facilities.The situation is much better compared to a few years back, when diesel mechanics and automotive tooling candidates would get jobs at car dealerships or at component making firms at lower wages," he adds.

Ford's Sanand plant will have an initial capacity of 240,000 cars and 270,000 engines per annum.

With the Sanand plant going onstream, Ford India's annual installed capacity will nearly treble to 610,000 engines and 440,000 vehicles.

Ford's Sanand facility is coming up with an investment of around $1 billion (approximately Rs 5800 crore at current exchange rates). Ford has announced eight new products by 2015, and it is in the process of building plant capacity to support the production plan.