Generating employment is the need of this era and for a country like India during this period of recession, it has to be a priority of our leaders to stimulate such provisions. On the hindsight the ground reality is something different, our PM is often vocal about encouraging youth employment, however his very own initiatives and tax duties have led several automobile giants to depart from the country wrapping up its decade long developed manufacturing units in India. This time it’s Ford motors on the list which has terminated its units and going back to other countries.
Another US Car Maker Leaves India
After GM, Harley, Ford shuts down its plants and future ventures in India. Ford Motor Company, one of the first global carmakers to enter the Indian market following the liberalization that began in 1991, has decided to end manufacturing operations in the country.
The American company said it had accumulated losses of over $ 2 billion in the last 10 years, and that the phased closure of its two production units in Sanand, Gujarat, and Chennai, Tamil Nadu, would affect approximately 4,000 employees. Ford joins a growing list of global vehicle makers that have stopped operations in the world’s fourth largest automobile market over the last five years. In that list are Ford’s American rival General Motors (GM) and the American motorcycle company Harley-Davidson.
Ford Has One Of The Biggest Factories In India
Ford’s announcement came just months after discussions to transfer its operations to local rival Mahindra & Mahindra were called off. The Dearborn, Michigan-headquartered auto major’s two plants in India have an annual manufacturing capacity of 400,000 units, but lately it had been operating at a utilisation of 20 per cent, half of which was being exported.
Ford India said that it would continue to sell imported CBU (Completely Built-up Unit) models, and would “significantly expand its 11,000-employee Business Solutions team in India in coming years to support Ford globally. Despite investing significantly in India, Ford has accumulated more than $ 2 billion of operating losses over the past 10 years and demand for new vehicles has been much weaker than forecast,” Jimmy Farley, CEO and president of Ford quoted.
The saying “Modi hain toh mumkin hai” is coming to be true but paradoxically in a contradictory manner. It’s an absolute dismay from our policy makers that their so-called development policies are actually hampering the pace of growth of the country and in no manner is helping the common man in any way.
