Dealers stuck in a dead end as Ford exits India

New Delhi: With the exit of Ford India from the manufacturing capacities in India, showroom dealers of the brand have also begun the process to pull down the shutters permanently.

The sales showrooms of Ford India were notified on September 9 about the decision of to shut its two manufacturing facilities in Chennai and Sanand (Gujarat) plants.

Bizz Buzz spoke with several Ford dealers in the north belt to know how the sudden announcement has impacted thousands of employees and what awaits those engaged in sales of the car. After several rounds of failed discussion with its workers unions, Ford announced its decision to stop making cars in India after being present in the market for more than two-decade.

Jitendra Singh, a salesman at the Ford showroom in Panipat, Haryana, said that Ford car dealers have been asked to permanently close their dealership with the brand after sale of the leftover stock. While expressing his helplessness, Singh said that he would quit working in the auto industry altogether as he no longer feels that foreign automobile brands will stick in the domestic market in the long haul.

"I've been working as a sales manager for Ford for a decade. This move has severely impacted all of us who have been associated with the company. We were notified earlier this month to look for new jobs once all the cars are sold off," Singh told Bizz Buzz.

At present, the showroom has only one car to be sold off and 15 employees at the dealership who will be rendered unemployed in the coming days.

Sher Singh from Ford Dealership, Dwarka, New Delhi, said that while some junior level sales executives have moved on to other brands, the higher management staff will also look for alternate jobs once all the stocks are cleared.

"There were around 12-15 staff members here at our dealership. Now, we are down to mere 5

people. I have been in car dealership for close to a decade and re-joined Ford dealership six months ago only. Now, again I have to look for another job.

The company has not even announced any compensation package for its dealers or sales executives," Singh expressed his helplessness. A Ford dealer in Okhla, New Delhi, said that although its unit has been notified of the decision, the customer enquiry for its cars has increased manifold ever since the brand announced its exit from the Indian market.

On the condition of anonymity, the Ford dealer said that bigger showrooms with larger stock have been lesser worried about closing down on the financial loses or unemployment.

"We have close to 60 cars which are to be sold off. But the customer enquiry for Ford cars has almost doubled in the last few days. Usually, we would get 20-25 calls a day but now we are getting close to 50 calls a day. I heard that Ford might retain some of its units to manufacture its EcoSport car, but ultimately the dealership and sales will be coming to an end," the employee said.