Ford India’s Chennai plant produced one millionth vehicle and engine at its Chennai Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plant,a milestone for the facility that kick-started the company’s growth journey in the dynamic Indian market in 1999. India’s most awarded vehicle ever, the Ford EcoSport was the millionth vehicle to roll off the Chennai assembly line on Wednesday. “Chennai is from where we started our make in India journey,” Balasundaram Radhakrishnan, executive director – manufacturing at Ford Chennai Vehicle Assembly & Engine Plant, said. “Apart from being a global manufacturing hub for Ford, the facility has set new benchmarks in adopting processes that not only ensure global quality but significantly reduce our carbon footprint.”Ford India’s US$ 1 billion manufacturing facility at Chennai started commercial production 16-years ago in 1999 and today makes the company’s globally-renowned nameplates Ford EcoSport, Ford Fiesta and Ford Endeavour.
The Chennai facility has been key part to Ford’s ‘Make in India’ vision establishing India as a global manufacturing hub for small cars and low-displacement engines. Apart from meeting local demand, the quality vehicles and engines made at Ford’s Chennai facility are exported to more than 40 markets across the globe, including parts of ASEAN, Europe, Middle-East and Africa.