Ford’s investing £157m in a new technology centre in India
Ford's investing 13bn rupees (£157m) in a new technology and business centre in India over the next five years.
The car giant said the development, in the Indian city of Chennai, was to develop new products, design mobility solutions and provide business services. In a statement, Ford said it will create 3,000 jobs while 9,000 people will be brought in from other centres in the southern Indian city to staff the facility, which will be operational by early 2019.
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Executive chairman Bill Ford said: "India is not only a vibrant market for cars and new mobility ideas, it also is rich with talent, technical expertise and ingenuity. This new centre will help us attract the best and brightest, and make Chennai a true hub of innovation for Ford around the world."
The centre will be the company's second-largest tech setup outside of its global HQ in Dearborn, Michigan in the US. Ford has already invested over $2bn in the country as part of its focus to target emerging markets.
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It's also the third global product development centre in the Asia Pacific region and will include laboratories and testing facilities for vehicles and components, to enable Ford to test future products in India.
The site will feature 2.5m square feet of floor space with three office buildings, a canteen and product development centre. There'll also be a childcare centre and fitness block.
Last month, Ford's net income fell 50 per cent in its third quarter results after taking a hit from a product recall earlier in the year. It had to fork out $600m on a safety recall due to a problem with a door latch.