An ex-Ford showroom in Assam, now displaying Maruti cars

Ford India announced its exit on 9th September 2021

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this image taken in Assam, showing an erstwhile Ford showroom, now displaying Maruti Suzuki cars.

An overview of Ford India's exit:

• On September 9th, 2021, Ford announced that the company will exit the Indian market and shut down its production operations at both its Sanand (Gujarat) and Chennai factories.
• Sales of current products such as Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport and Endeavour will cease once existing dealer inventories are sold. The carmaker, however, will continue to serve existing customers with service, aftermarket parts and warranty coverage.
• Mr Vinkesh Gulati, President of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), stated that the auto retail fraternity was shocked to hear another US auto major announcing its exit from the Indian market.
• There are about 170 Ford dealers in the country with around 391 outlets. Dealers had invested approximately Rs. 2,000 crore in setting up their dealerships. While Ford India employs 4,000 people, dealerships are said to employ around 40,000 individuals. Mr Anurag Mehrotra, President & MD, Ford India, assured that the company would adequately compensate its dealers.
• According to FADA, 64,000 jobs have been lost as a result of OEMs exiting the market. Among the five OEMs that have exited in recent times, Ford has had the largest setup comprising of 170 dealerships and 40,000 employees.
• Mr Mehrotra had stepped down from the post of President & Managing Director, Ford India, on September 30, 2021. He has now been appointed as the Vice President of International Business, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU), Tata Motors with effect from October 1, 2021.

Several Ford owners expressed their uncertainty of how this would affect their ownership experience. BHPians have come forward with multiple insights & several pieces of advice.