The Hindu : Business : Arvind Mathew succeeds Friedman at Ford India

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Thursday, Jul 07, 2005

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Business

Arvind Mathew succeeds Friedman at Ford India

Special Correspondent

`All new premium vehicle' will be launched first here

CHANGE OF GUARD: The Vice President and Executive Director, Manufacturing and Supply, Ford India, Arvind Mathew (right), who will take over as the Managing Director and President, Ford India, from David Friedman. — Photo : Bijoy Ghosh

CHENNAI: Ford India will have a new managing director even as it is readying to launch a new premium car later this year.

Arvind Mathew will take over as the Managing Director of the company from August 1. He is now Vice-President and Executive Director (India programs implementation and supply). He will succeed David Friedman, who is slated to take up an executive assignment for Ford in the Asia-pacific region.

Mr. Friedman's new job would be finalised in a couple of weeks.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Friedman said, "We are moving forward into an aggressive growth path in India with the world launch of a new vehicle later this year.''

Mr. Mathew said Ford was set to enter the growth phase after establishing itself in India. The proposed `all new premium' vehicle, he said, was designed globally with support from Indian engineers and the vehicle would be launched first in India. This would be an internationally designed and developed product but launched first in the Indian market, they added.

Queried further, Mr. Mathew merely said the new vehicle would be latest in terms of styling and technology.

Capacity expansion

He hoped that with the launch of the new vehicle, Ford India would be able to ramp up its production capacity. The Marimalai Nagar plant near here could go up to one lakh vehicles a year in three-shifts with the new launch, he said.

At present, Mr. Friedman said, the plant was turning out around 50,000 vehicles in two-shifts. Both declined to comment on the volume the new vehicle would fetch Ford India. They preferred to keep under wraps the finer details of the proposed new vehicle.

Mr. Friedman said that when he joined Ford India way back in 1998, he assumed the Indian market to be simple and straightforward. Actually the Indian market is more complex and challenging, he felt. The speed of growth was tremendous and quicker than anticipated, he added.

He was happy that the Ikon car population had crossed the one lakh mark. He said volumes had improved, exports had gone up and Ford India was in "nice health'' not just in terms of numbers but also in terms of business structure.

Mr. Mathew said Ford India was committed to keep the Ikon fresh and contemporary. "It (Ikon) will remain in our product portfolio for many years to come,'' he added. Ford entered India ten years ago in partnership with Mahindra and Mahindra.

Since then, it has launched a premium car Ford Escort, mid-sedan Ikon, sports utility vehicle Endevour and crossover Fusion. It also imports and sells Mondeo from Belgium.

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