• New Ford Global Technology and Business Center will serve as a hub for product development, mobility solutions and business services for India and the world
• Ford to invest US$195 million (Rs. 1,300 crore) and add 3,000 highly skilled employees in Chennai to fully staff the 12,000-employee facility
• India-based Ford Global Business Services operation to be integrated with product development on the modern 28-acre campus opening in early 2019
• New environmentally friendly campus will utilize solar panels, rainwater collection tanks, and heat and water recovery systems; employees will have access to facilities including a canteen, a fitness center, yoga classes, medical services and childcare

Ford Motor Company today announced plans for a green and modern new Global Technology and Business Center in Chennai that will serve as a hub for product development, mobility solutions and business services for India and other markets around the world.

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, visiting Chennai for the announcement, said the automaker will invest $195 million (Rs. 1,300 crore) and hire 3,000 skilled workers over the next five years to fully staff the new center. Ford also will consolidate 9,000 employees from six existing facilities in Chennai on the 28-acre campus. With 12,000 employees in total, the Chennai facility will become Ford’s second-largest center of employment globally after Dearborn, Mich., U.S.  

“India is not only a vibrant market for cars and new mobility ideas, it also is rich with talent, technical expertise and ingenuity,” Bill Ford said. “This new center will help us attract the best and brightest, and make Chennai a true hub of innovation for Ford around the world.”

Expected to be completed by early 2019, the Ford Global Technology and Business Center in Chennai will become Ford’s third global product development center in Asia Pacific and part of Ford’s global product development network. As well as housing engineering talent, the campus will be home to employees from IT, finance, accounting, data analytics and manufacturing.

The center will employ Indian engineers, scientists and skilled workers. It also will feature a wide range of laboratories and testing facilities for both full vehicles and components, enabling Ford to conduct extensive testing of future vehicles in India.

“This is an exciting day for Ford and Chennai, and it underscores the bright future we are creating together,” said Dave Schoch, president, Ford Asia Pacific. “We want to express our deepest gratitude to the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha for working with Ford over many years to make this vision a reality.”

Business services
In addition to growing product development capabilities in India, the center will house Ford’s second-largest IT organization outside of the company’s global headquarters. Making the most of local talent, this team will help to drive innovative ideas for Ford’s emerging business models in mobility, analytics and connected vehicles.

The center will also help Ford to continue to innovate in manufacturing around the world, standardizing processes and making use of the latest technologies to enhance efficiency. Teams working on advanced financial analysis and future data analytics will further strengthen the new facility as a global center of excellence.

By bringing together all employees from skill teams currently spread across six different locations in Chennai, the new center will help to democratize innovation. It will deliver business solutions to nearly every Ford location around the world in the areas of product development, information technology, finance and accounting, manufacturing, data analytics, marketing sales and service, purchasing, and automotive financing.

Innovative design and environmental leadership
Stretching across a 28-acre campus, with 2.5 million square feet of floor space, the Ford Global Technology and Business Center is designed to enhance innovation and collaboration among employees.                                      

Shared work spaces and an open office plan will make it easier for colleagues to share ideas and inspire creativity through informal meetings. High-speed WiFi connections available across the campus will also enable employees to work more effectively, wherever they are.

Away from their desks, employees from different teams and functions will be brought together in a common Learning and Development Center, separate from the two main office towers.

Spread over four floors, amenities including a canteen, a fitness center, a yoga center, medical facilities and a childcare center emphasize Ford’s commitment to a healthy work-life balance for all employees, as well as providing more opportunities for interaction between employees from different parts of the company.

Ford is also working to ensure that the new center meets the highest environmental standards. Both the office buildings and the Learning and Development Center are designed for compliance with LEED Gold and Platinum standards for green buildings.

All lighting across the campus will be provided by LED light fixtures, and roof-mounted solar panels, heat and water recovery systems, a water treatment plant and rainwater tanks for collecting roof and surface water will help to further reduce its environmental footprint. Treated wastewater will be reused for irrigation, flushing and cooling.

“Designing a sustainable campus is as much about protecting the environment as it is about creating a great place to work,” Bill Ford said. “The Ford Global Technology and Business Center incorporates thoughtful ways to improve our environmental impact, while at the same time creating a great workplace that inspires our employees.”