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Tata Motors begins production at new Sanand plant acquired from Ford

January 15, 2024 19:13 IST

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, on Friday announced that it has commenced production at its second factory in Sanand, Gujarat, which it had acquired from Ford India last year.

Tata Motors

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

This new facility will unlock an additional manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which is scalable to 420,000 units.

The new facility is spread over 460 acres and is adjacent to Tata Motors' existing passenger vehicle facility in Sanand.

 

Currently employing over 1,000 people, the plant is poised to create an additional 1,000 jobs in the region within the next three to four months.

Tata Motors has also invested in upskilling its workforce, providing them with diplomas, bachelor's, and master's degrees as needed.

Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and TPEM stated, "We have successfully retooled the factory in the shortest span of 12 months, taking it to a new level to accommodate a wide range of existing products and future new models to come.

"I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Gujarat for its wholesome support and our employees without whom this accomplishment would not have been possible."

He further added, Tata Motors Passenger & Electric Vehicles business has delivered market-beating growth over the last few years.

We have strong plans to sustain this momentum, with our robust pipeline of future-ready  New Forever  products and proactive investments in electric vehicles.

With existing capacities near saturation, this new facility will unlock an additional state-of-the-art manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum which is scalable to 420,000 units per annum.

The Sanand plant houses four advanced production shops - Stamping, Body construction, Paint, and Final assembly.

Major retooling and tech upgrades include enhancements in the Press Shop, Weld Shop, Paint Shop, and Assembly Shop, incorporating new dies, additional robots, and advanced handling systems.

The Sanand plant also houses a 50 kW solar rooftop and aims to achieve water neutrality by December 2024.

TPEM, with TPG Rise Climate as an investor, aims to invest $2 billion by 2026 to launch 10 new electric vehicles.

These funds will be used in developing a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) architecture, supporting local component manufacturing, and advancing automotive and battery technologies.

The company also aims to foster the growth of charging infrastructure to facilitate rapid EV adoption in India.

Anjali Singh
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