Ford exports beat local sales

Calcutta: Ford India's exports are almost double its domestic sales.

The US-based company closed calendar year 2017 with exports of 1,75,196 units compared with 1,51,638 units in 2016.

The company's domestic sales is almost half of its exports at 87,588 units for 2017 compared with 86,460 units a year ago.

Ford's domestic sales grew a little over one per cent in 2017, while exports rose 15 per cent.

"We have a stated objective of making India our export hub. We even export the Ford EcoSport to our mother country, the US. We are the top exporters and it is in sync with our plan," Antony Cherian Kurian, general manager, centre of excellence, sales production capacity planning system of Ford India Pvt Ltd, said during the launch of the Ford Freestyle, a compact utility vehicle, in Calcutta.

Ford exports to 41 countries, including 68 markets in West Asia and Africa, the big five markets of Europe, Argentina and South America, apart from the US.

"We export close to 17,000 units per month on an average," he said.

The company, while phasing out its sedans globally, is concentrating on the various segments in the SUV category.

"When we launched the EcoSport, we were creating a new category, the mini-SUV. Now with the Ford Freestyle we are again creating a new segment in the compact utility vehicle segment," said Cherian when asked if the Freestyle would eat into the sales of its EcoSport.

The Freestyle is also under four metres, like the the EcoSport, and is a five-seater. However, it is powered with a new engine, a 1.2 litre TiVCT, compared with EcoSport's 1.5-litre engine. It also has a new transmission that gives it fuel economy.

The company will launch the upgraded versions of the Figo and Figo Aspire later this year. It also plans to have an Aspire electric vehicle that Mahindra is helping it to develop.

Like the Toyota-Suzuki collaboration, Ford has entered into a technology sharing pact with the Mahindras. The company has invested Rs 19.5 crore to build the Ford Global Technology Business Centre.

"A lot of engineers are joining the centre and we will have a lot of inputs into Ford's global products," said Kurian.

Ford India Limited