Ahmedabad, 17 July, 2014

A delegation of Ford Motor Company today visited Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel in capital Gandhinagar.

In this connection it would be interesting to note that presented in the videos here are the car models that are likely to be manufactured in Gujarat later next year by Ford company in its Sanand, Gujarat based manufacturing plant which is under construction at present.

The Ka hatchback is likely to be launched in India next year. It will succeed the Figo. Another car, a sub-4 meter version of the Ka+ will be introduced in India in 2015 as a successor to the Ford Classic. Both cars would be made at Ford’s upcoming plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

Ford Motor Company’s newly appointed CEO Mr. Mark Fields who took over the proceedings from Mr. Allan Mullaly on July 1, was on a market review visit to India in the month of June. During his visit, Mr. Fields held a meeting with the Indian PM Mr. Narendra Modi and the former updated the latter on the progress of Ford’s upcoming plant in Sanand, Gujarat.

Economic Times reports that during the meeting, Mr. Modi urged the Ford CEO to put the Sanand plant in the global manufacturing map by adding more export markets. The USD 1 billion plant is expected to go on stream on the 1st of April 2015 and expand Ford India’s manufacturing capacity by more than two folds.

Ford is investing over a USD 1 billion in a 2.5 lakh car plant in Gujarat, which will more than double its capacity in India. While Tata Motors |bse o.9o%| had already invested in Sanand, Gujarat government under Mr Modi was very keen that a global car maker set up a base in Gujarat and persuaded Ford to invest.

Flat out, the plant would have an annual production capacity of 2.5 lakh units while the initial production capacity is expected to be around 1.4-1.5 lakh units (800-900 units per day) in 2015, ET has reported.

The Sanand plant was commissioned in 2012 when Mr. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. In the first year, the facility would roll out the next gen Ford Figo hatchback and the new Figo sub-4 metre sedan (unveiled as Ford Ka and Ka+ in Brazil) that is touted to replace the Ford Classic.

With the ‘One Ford’ global product strategy in place, Ford India is planning to expand its export markets from the current 50 to around 100 – 120 in due course. The Sanand plant is expected to contribute the lion’s share of Ford India’s export operations.

Ford India Chief Meets Gujarat CM

Nigel Harris, the newly appointed president of the company met the Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel today during his visit to the state.

A company spokesperson informed that it was a courtesy visit where Harris took the opportunity to meet the new chief minister of the state. “He was on a visit to the Sanand plant, and hence, he took this opportunity to meet the new CM in office and also thank the local government for its support to the company’s Gujarat project,” the official said.

He also added that work on the Sanand plant was very much on track and that it would be operational by the end of this year and the first vehicle should roll out of the plant by early 2015.