Ford’s India Engine Plant Revival Remains on Schedule

Ford is pressing ahead with its plan to restart engine production in India, with the Maraimalai Nagar facility in Tamil Nadu on track for a 2029 or 2030 launch. The Blue Oval will invest 32.50 billion rupees ($370 million) to retool the plant for high-end engine output, targeting an annual capacity of around 200,000 units—all destined for export markets.

Vice Chairman Mathew Godlewski met with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to confirm progress, with the project reportedly still on schedule.

The move comes years after Ford exited India’s passenger-vehicle manufacturing in 2021, selling its Sanand plant to Tata Motors while the Chennai Assembly plant remained unsold. That same Chennai facility is now slated for engine production under a 2024 memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Nadu government.

Ford previously built the EcoSport and Endeavor in India but held just a 2% share of the passenger-vehicle market and reportedly lost $2 billion over the prior decade. A failed joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra preceded its exit, but the automaker is now refocusing on powertrain manufacturing to support vehicles assembled elsewhere.