[Aditya]

The Reserve Bank of India has granted Ford Credit India a licence to operate as a non-banking financial company. The company will begin dealer wholesale inventory financing in the first quarter of 2015. Consumer retail financing will follow later in the year.

Ford Credit India Private Limited is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Motor Company’s global financing subsidiary. It plans to support Ford's growth plans over the next 18 to 20 months in India by providing financing solutions.

In India, Ford is investing $ 2 billion, nearly half of which is being spent on a new manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The new plant will nearly double the company’s installed production capacity in the country to 610,000 engines and 440,000 vehicles a year. Ford plans to serve both the domestic and export markets through its enhanced capacity. The company also is expanding its sales and service network in India. Ford has 304 sales and service outlets in 164 cities and continues to grow.

Ford Credit has been in the automotive financing business since 1959 (a period of 55 years). It provides a range of automotive financial products and services to about 5,200 Ford and Lincoln dealers and more than 3.8 million customers around the world.

[Turbanator]

Don't know if cheaper USD Rate of Interest will bring any lower rates for Indian customer as this has helped only companies and not end customers in past by my opinion . BMW & Mercedes are having this setup since many Years and many a times Indian banks beat them on rates . Even after considering hedging costs of funds from US/ Europe they can afford to be lower than Indian banks but no idea why are they still expensive - maybe some statutory issues like maintaining PLR ?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Aditya

The company will begin dealer wholesale inventory financing in the first quarter of 2015

Dealers will definitely benefit from this!

Consumer retail financing will follow later in the year.

Expect to see a ton of low downpayment / low EMI schemes...similar to the ones we've seen from Mercedes & BMW financial arms. There'll be a lot of innovative loan options on Fords (leases, bullet payments etc.).

Great way of supporting your own product line, and making some money while at it . Ford Credit is a major player in the USA, the Indian team should use that expertise with packaging.