Ford plant on fast track, consent to operate granted a day after CM Stalin’s meet
Stalin had met senior Ford officials in Chicago on September 11, but the application was submitted even before the meeting, sources here said.
Representative Image
CHENNAI: A day after Chief Minister MK Stalin met with the senior executives of auto major Ford Motors to urge it to resume production at its plant near Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) renewed the Consent to Operate so that production can restart any time.
A senior TNPCB official revealed that the Consent to Operate (CTO) given to Ford’s Maraimalai Nagar plant had expired in March 2024. The company applied for renewal and the application was approved in the 328th Consent Clearance Committee Meeting held on September 12.
Stalin had met senior Ford officials in Chicago on September 11, but the application was submitted even before the meeting, sources here said.
As per norms, industries should renew their CTOs once in every three to five based on the category of the industry. The renewed CTO given to the company is valid up to March 31, 2028.
Now that the CTO is granted, the US-based automobile giant is expected to restart its production in a few months.
"The present CTO renewal is for the existing plant. Ford Motors should apply for a fresh CTO if it intends to modify or expand the plant. Moreover, the power connection to the plant is live. A plant is considered operational until the power connection is discontinued. The company had applied for the CTO renewal before the chief minister met Ford officials," a source explained.
After running the plant for nearly three decades, Ford stopped producing cars for domestic sale in India in September 2021, as it was struggling to boost sales. However, production for export continued till July 2022, before completely shutting down.
During his visit to the US earlier this month, Stalin met with Ford officials on September 11 and invited the company to restart operations in Maraimalai Nagar. Three days after the meeting, the automaker announced it would resume operation for exports.
A statement from Ford said it has submitted a letter of intent to the State government. Kay Hart, president, Ford International Markets Group, said in a statement that the decision followed multiple meetings with the Tamil Nadu government, including with Chief Minister Stalin. It is said that the company is preparing to produce e-vehicles, though no official word has come so far.