Ford has been in the news for a long time with reports suggesting its return to India and some latest visuals indicating that it might have a partnership, of some sort, with Mahindra. Note that Ford quit manufacturing cars in India back in September 2021. At the time, it incurred total losses worth $2 billion in our market since its inception some 25 years ago. Finally, it decided to pull the plug and discontinued manufacturing cars in India. But the new-gen Endeavour (Everest) and Ranger pickup truck were recently spotted in our market.
Will Ford return to India in partnership with Mahindra?
Someone has took an image of the Ford Ranger from Mahindra’s factory. That has caused quite a lot of conundrum. No one knows the exact reason for this. Still, we would like to venture a few guesses. Firstly, it is possible that Mahindra might be benchmarking it to incorporate some elements into their own pickup trucks they sell in various international markets. Or, Mahindra could be a potential partner of Ford to mark the latter’s comeback to our market going forward.
Ford-Mahindra Earlier Partnership
Note that back in 2019, Ford and Mahindra entered into a partnership to offer new products to customers fast with profitability in mind. This joint venture was valued at $275 million (Rs 1,925 Crore INR). In this, Mahindra was to have a 51% stake, while Ford was to have 49%. Both Sanand and Chennai plants were supposed to manufacture and assemble the cars. This JV was the result of an earlier alliance between Ford and Mahindra in 2017. Now we know that this JV fell through and the vehicle they were jointly developing never saw the light of day. Covid was the biggest reason for the plans falling through. But it is possible that the two auto giants might decide to come together now as the times are much more favourable.
Author’s Note
Ford was earlier spotted transporting the Everest and Ranger on a flatbed. Hence, the rumours are warranted. Now, with the Ranger pickup truck found at the Mahindra facility itself, we can sense that something is definitely brewing. Additionally, Ford also listed job vacancies on LinkedIn a few weeks ago. Those were in the electric vehicle R&D division. Therefore, the plans for a bright future in India are certainly visible. Let us keep an eye out for more updates in this regard.
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