Modern machines at lower cost, skilled workers: why buying Ford’s Sanand plant makes sense for Tata

Ford Motor Company Sanand Vehicle and Assembly Plant. image credit: Ford India.

Synopsis
The state-of-the-art vehicle-manufacturing facility will cost its buyer much less than what it takes to build a greenfield plant. Also, the 1,400 existing employees will be transferred to Tata Motors’ EV subsidiary. This will minimize the need to hire and train new manpower. The existing supply chain created by Ford will come in handy for Tata Motors.

There’s one day in their India journey that Ford and its entire management would like to remember with a smile — March 26, 2015. Congratulatory messages flew as the company inaugurated an integrated plant, including a state-of-the-art vehicle-manufacturing facility and a world-class engine plant, at Sanand, Gujarat. Armed with the latest technologies, the facility was readying for mass production of the Figo Aspire sedan. “With the opening of