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BHPian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Pune
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| ![]() Ford India could cease independent operations in the country with the new Mahindra deal. JV with Mahindra having 51 per cent stake and Ford with 49 per cent stake expected to be announced in the next 90 days. Read Mahindra Ford joint venture in India. |
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Newbie ![]() Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Navi Mumbai
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I have recently booked an Aspire and have completed almost all the buying process. I will be taking the delivery within a week's time. Post reading the article, I'm a little apprehensive now ![]() They are providing 5 years warranty on the Aspire. What happens to the present customers of Ford India? | |
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![]() | #3 |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chennai
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| ![]() Am not sure of this - Ford India operations had a profitable year in the year that closed recently, for the first time ever. Why'd they think about closing down operations? If at all they close down, all spares & service need to be made available for the current owners for the next 15 years as a rule, so nothing to worry for the current owners. |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Noida
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Ford will handover its India sales / aftersales to Mahindra / new JV entity and rest everything will remain the same. You will obviously see platform / drivetrain sharing as part of the JV but both car logos will still exist. Last edited by benbsb29 : 10th April 2019 at 12:16. Reason: Corrected 'seize' to 'cease'. | |
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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() Ford is likely to cease operations in India as an independent Company. Quote:
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Last edited by volkman10 : 10th April 2019 at 07:16. | ||||
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![]() | #6 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: MH 43 // MH 46
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | ![]() Mod Note: Moving Ford posts to a new thread. Thanks for sharing! We've known this'll be happening since a while, but it's still a bit tough to digest. From Ford USA's POV, they've spent 20 years in India and an overwhelming majority of those have been loss-making years. If they made a profit, it was only because of exports. Their sales & market-share in India are tiny, for a brand that is a Top 5 worldwide. Clearly, Ford headquarters wants to preserve its resources & management bandwidth for markets where it has a stronger standing or greater potential (USA, China etc.). The company is taking tough decisions - remember their recent announcement where they'll stop selling sedans in the USA (not one I personally agree with - link to post). Mahindra having 51% is noteworthy. That means, Mahindra will effectively be the one in control of the JV. And they'll now get access to Ford India's assets. Make no mistake, they'll be taking over. This is a BIG win for Mahindra. I think the 49% gives Ford a wait & watch approach. 5 - 10 years later, if it's still not interested in India, it can simply sell off its stake & exit India completely. The changing emission & safety norms are going to make things more challenging in the market. And Ford would've been concerned with the entry of aggressive heavily-funded players like Kia & MG who will create a hyper-competitive scenario. Ford's USA HQ obviously didn't see any growth potential in this situation, at least in the short & mid-term. They didn't want to invest more money here either. Still, this is better than a full exit like GM. It allows Ford to still maintain partial presence in the country ("foot in the door"), with Mahindra doing the hard work, and freeing up Ford USA's bandwidth. So, in the future when the Indian market experiences huge growth and / or Ford wants to increase its presence here, it can do so easily (not the case with General Motors which is now a bad name in India). Also good news for Ford customers who will continue to receive support from the new JV. They aren't left in the lurch like Chevrolet owners. GM is gone, VW has handed things over to Skoda, the Fiat brand is RIP and now Ford is exiting its independent business...I predict more will come (e.g. Nissan). This market isn't for weaklings. Am frankly surprised Peugeot-Citroen is thinking of entering. EDIT on 11th April. Ford India shares the following via email: Quote:
Last edited by GTO : 11th April 2019 at 12:26. | |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | ![]() Basically after 25 years of entering the market, Ford is back to where it all began. Their innings started in 1995 as a 50-50 venture with Mahindra to manufacture the Escort, went solo later on, and now starting their withdrawal from the market once again with Mahindra, this time with a humble 49-51 partnership. Ikon 1.6, Mondeo, Fiesta S and the likes will surely be missed. The new JV with Mahindra will more likely focus only on SUVs - with the next generation Ecosport and XUV 5OO equivalent borrowing heavily from the Mahindra cousins. Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 10th April 2019 at 08:21. |
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Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: pune
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Surprisingly, this is called as strategy in corporate terms. Long term vision must have got lost in some corner for short-term (flat) growth (pun intended). Quote:
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Distinguished - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: All over!
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| ![]() Very, very disappointing from Ford. The Indian market does have its challenges: being one of the very few RHD geographies, an overwhelming market leader (with 50% share) and silly regulations (sub-4m rule). However, none of these are unsurmountable, case in point Hyundai. Ford should have persisted: they have the products, a better execution and a bold business strategy has been the need of the hour/years. With Ford not pursuing sedans, they have very little play room in India. They have a cluttered playing field in the sub-4m SUV space and a behemoth to stand up against in the Fortuner segment. The writing has been on the wall for some time. Such developments, that eventually embolden the majority player, do not bode well for the market. |
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![]() | #11 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Bombay
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| ![]() I hope that this is not a phased exit from India. From the JV it looks quite evident that M&M will benefit in terms of service etc. M&M sales will not be affected. After the JV, there are changes that the sales may go down further as it all depends how M&M advertise the Ford products. What if sales do down further, what next ? |
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Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore
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I am quite disheartened to see this decision, which I have been personally hoping against. Ford has been launching some very competent products in the recent past, and it might just have gained some traction if it held on for a little while longer as an independently managed company in India. Perhaps the synergies of the JV that they speak of will help them gain that traction better. Just hope that this is not the start of their exit from the Indian market. Last edited by arindambasu13 : 10th April 2019 at 08:59. | |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() ![]() | ![]() Quote:
![]() Let me quote the man himself, Anand Mahindra on this - Quote:
Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 10th April 2019 at 09:10. | ||
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![]() | #14 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bangalore
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| ![]() I just got myself an Ecosport. This news is making me worried. What if it goes the Fiat way? Hopefully it is not a phased exit. |
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![]() | #15 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: BLR
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| ![]() Ford make some of the best cars on the planet. There is nothing that Mahindra can teach Ford about cars other than how to make their cars worse, lower the already lowered driving pleasure and add more cost cutting. Net result - cheaper but worse cars. All that junk in the press release that lowered royalty to parent company would help operations is just that - junk. The current "strategic move" will move this unit from the frying pan into the fire. History will remember GM, VW and Ford as having something in common - good cars and bad management. |
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