Exports drive higher Ford India sales in March

Carmaker Ford India closed last month selling 15,775 units up from 11,805 units sold in March 2014, the company said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Ford India said it sold 15,775 units (domestic 5,253 units, exports 10,522 units) last month -- up from 11,805 units (domestic 6,356 units, exports 5,449 units) logged during March 2014.

"With the economic recovery being slower than anticipated and a high interest rate and inflation environment, customers continue to defer their discretionary spends," Anurag Mehrotra, executive director marketing, sales and service was quoted as saying in the statement.

Last month, Ford India inaugurated its second Indian plant at Sanand in Gujarat at an outlay of $1 billion.

Spread over 460 acres, the integrated facility includes a vehicle manufacturing facility and an engine plant.

The Ford Figo Aspire, a new sub-four-metre compact sedan, will be the first car to roll-out from the new plant. The car is scheduled to go on sale later this year, the company said.

"India is a key market for Ford and with our Sanand plant being operational, Ford is stronger than ever to provide cars and utilities that customers want and value. We plan to introduce three new models in the next 12-18 months with leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value," Mehrotra said.

With an installed annual capacity of 240,000 vehicles and 270,000 engines, the facility nearly doubles Ford's installed production capacity in India.

The company's total sales in 2014-15 grew 18 percent to 156,841 vehicles from 132,540 vehicles in the previous financial year (2013-14).