Balasundaram Radhakrishnan, presently Director, Manufacturing, Ford India Private Limited (FIPL), has been appointed to the role of Transformation Officer of the company.
Weeks after announcing the shutdown of vehicle production in India, US auto major Ford on Friday announced a leadership change in its operations in the country, with Anurag Mehrotra, currently Ford India’s chairman and managing director, leaving the company by the end of the month. are ready for. .
Following the announcement of the transformation of his business in India, Balasundaram Radhakrishnan (Bala), who is currently the Director, Manufacturing, Ford India Private Limited (FIPL), has been appointed as the Transformation Officer of the company, a FIPL spokesperson said in a statement. In said statement.
“Bala will oversee and drive the transformation efforts associated with the restructuring,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company is committed to supporting customers and partners in India.
After nearly three decades of struggle to make a mark in India, Ford Motor Company announced on 9 September that it would stop vehicle production at two of its plants in the country and only imported vehicles as part of a restructuring exercise. Will sell
The company, which has invested about $2.5 billion in its Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Sanand (Gujarat) plants, has reported losses of over $2 billion in India. More than 4,000 employees and 150 dealer principals operating more than 300 outlets will be affected by the decision.
Ford India will discontinue vehicle assembly in Sanand by the fourth quarter of 2021 and vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai by the second quarter of 2022.
However, it will continue to manufacture engines from its Sanand plant which will be exported to the company’s global operations.
With the closure of manufacturing operations, the automaker will stop selling vehicles like EcoSport, Figo, Endeavor, Freestyle and Aspire, which are produced from these plants.
The company had said it would focus on engineering and manufacturing engines for exports, along with its Ford Business Solutions capabilities and team in the country.
With over 11,000 team members currently in India, Ford Business Solutions plans to expand to provide more opportunities for software developers, data scientists, R&D engineers and finance and accounting professionals, transforming Ford globally. And in support of the Ford+ plan to modernize, it added.
The company had said that more than 500 employees at the Sanand Engine Plant, which produces engines for export for the best-selling Ranger pickup truck, and about 100 employees supporting parts distribution and customer service, Ford in India. Will continue to support the business of
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