Q&A: Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company

'India is important for Ford's global plans'

Looking at the success of its small car, the Figo, and the recently launched mid-segment sedan, Fiesta, Alan Mulally, president and chief executive at Ford Motor Company, is keener than ever to increase the product offering in India in the coming year. This will be complete with a series of new engines with alternative technology and even electric drivetrains. He spoke to Swaraj Baggonkar on future plans.

What is the product range you have lined up for India?
We showcased the EcoSport, our compact sports utility vehicle, here today. This will be launched in the Indian market soon. Prior to this, we had launched the global Fiesta in the middle of last year. This is part of the plan to launch eight new products in the Indian market. I think the Asia-Pacific, especially India and China, will be very important markets and that’s why we are going to be here with the best products in the industry.

When are you going to launch the EcoSport in India and what will be the pricing?
We are going to make an announcement about the launch in the next few months, but clearly it will be towards the end of the year. The car will be made in India and, hence ,would be cost-competitive We can comfortably speak about its pricing at the time of the launch.

Where does India stand in terms of Ford's global plans?
India has become very important in our global plans. We have 10,000 employees and this number is only going to grow over the next few years ,when we have our new plant (at Sanand, Gujarat) on stream.

What products are going to come out and what price points to complement your existing range?
Ford globally has a family of large cars and SUVs and, hence ,more of such vehicles will be available to Indian consumers in the time to come. We believed the Figo, Fiesta, Eco Sport and Endeavor are suited for this market and are moving forward, and we will continue to evaluate what fits best for the Indian market.

What engine options you will offer to India at later stages?
We have nothing specific to announce today but clearly, our core strategy is to provide engines that people want. So, you will get to see different petrol engines, ecoboost engines, a variety of diesel engines and also all electric engines.

Over time you will see more electric cars like hybrids, plug-in hybrids. We will see a combination of all of this.

Could there be a product below the Figo in India in the coming period?
We have nothing concrete to announce now, but we continue to look at all the market segments. The good thing about the EcoSport and Fiesta is that they are absolutely at the centre of the market, not only in India but also in China. We should make sure we have the right kind of product that people want to drive.

What kind of significance does India hold vis-a-vis the international market?
We do not give area-wise break up of our performance but we look at it as the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The worldwide automobile industry is growing at five per cent and the demand is being led by Asia-Pacific, especially India and China.

How do you look at the India-EU free trade agreement?
Our strategy on where we operate, which was established by Henry Ford (founder), is to have a market in each country around the globe. We believe in free trade and are encouraged by the developments governments are making around the world. We believe the market should have the power to determine the currency and exchange, we are very supportive of rule-based trade and we are going to see more and more free trade agreements.

How are the developments in Europe impacting you and your global plans?
The sovereign debt crisis is a concern for all of us, and I am very pleased that the governments are making attempts to resolve this crisis. Our strategy operates on the plans we have put in motion for each country, which works independently. So far, we have not made any change to our global plans because of the financial crisis.