NEW DELHI: After announcing an exit from the Indian market around the middle of 2021, American auto major Ford seems to have had a re-think, and is now planning its global electric strategy out of India. The company is among the 20 automakers, that also includes Maruti’s Japanese parent Suzuki’s Gujarat subsidiary, who have been selected for benefits under the Rs 25,938-crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing and selling electrics.
Ford plans to use one of its India factories – most probably the Sanand plant in Gujarat – for making electric vehicles with plans to export 100% of the production. The company, which at the time of exit had promised a token presence in India by selling marque brands such as the Mustang, will also assess whether the electric vehicles meant for exports can be pushed into the Indian market. “We thank the Indian government for approving Ford’s proposal under the PLI scheme. As Ford leads customers through global electric-vehicle revolution, we’re exploring the possibility of using a plant in India as an export base for EV manufacturing,” the company said.
