CM Vijay assures full support as Ford all set to revive plant

CHENNAI: Ford Motor Company has resumed discussions with the Tamil Nadu government on restarting manufacturing operations at its Maraimalai Nagar plant, with senior company executives meeting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat on Monday.

According to an official release, the meeting focused on resuming production at Ford’s manufacturing facility and the company’s plans to expand its Global Capability Centre (GCC) and manufacturing operations in the State.

The Chief Minister assured the Ford delegation that the State government would extend all necessary support for the company to restart production. He also urged the company to fully utilise its manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar and proceed with its expansion plans at the earliest.

Industries Minister S Keerthana, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) S Vijayakumar, Guidance Tamil Nadu CEO Deepak Jacob, Ford Executive Director Simonetta Verdi and Ford India Plant Director Dheeraj Dixit participated in the meeting.

The government said Ford’s Global Capability Centre in Tamil Nadu has already generated around 12,000 jobs. It added that the company’s powertrain manufacturing project, involving an initial investment of Rs 3,250 crore, is expected to create more than 600 additional jobs.

Ford had shut down vehicle manufacturing at its Maraimalai Nagar plant in 2021. During the then Chief Minister MK Stalin’s visit to the United States in September 2024, the company submitted a Letter of Intent (LoI) expressing its interest in restarting manufacturing operations in Tamil Nadu.