Spread across 460 acres, Tata’s Sanand plant has been extensively retooled after acquisition from Ford India Private Limited (FIPL)
After Ford announced its India exit, the Sanand plant was put up for sale. Tata successfully acquired the plant and took physical possession in January 2023. After a major retooling exercise and tech upgrade process, the plant commenced production in January 2024. Nexon was the first car to be manufactured at the Sanand plant.
Tata Sanand plant – Key highlights
With strong growth, Tata needed to expand its production capacity. The plant acquired from Ford is Tata’s second plant in Sanand. Currently, only the Nexon ICE and EVs are manufactured at this plant. With the new plant, Tata has increased its production capacity by 3 lakh units per annum. It can also be scaled up to 4.20 lakh units per annum in the future.
A number of advanced tech upgrades have been introduced at the Sanand plant. It includes 100% error proofing, image-based defect capturing, real-time equipment health monitoring and quality and logistics IT systems. In terms of sustainability, a 50-kW solar plant has been installed on the rooftop of the plant. Tata’s Sanand plant is currently water neutral. It is planned to become water positive by December 2024.
Tata’s Sanand plant will play a key role in helping achieve the company’s EV goals. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. (TPEM) will be investing around $2 billion by 2026 in the EV segment. A total of 10 new electric vehicles have been planned for launch.
Tata Sanand plant – Engineering highlights
A major retooling exercise was carried out at the Sanand plant, after acquisition from Ford. In the Press shop, 54 new stamping dies and 3,200 pallets were created. The Weld shop had 473 carrier modifications, 90 new robots and 468 robot modifications.
The Paint shop had 838 carrier modifications, 59 robot modifications and 40 new internal painting robots. The TCF section had 703 carrier modifications, EOL facility modification and ICE and EV suitability in the same line. For uninterrupted operations, a 33KV dedicated substation has been set up at the plant.
Human resources transition and upskilling
TPEM had signed an agreement with FIPL-Sanand and FIPL Union to ensure a smooth transition. The plant readiness was achieved via a three-pronged approach of product integration, people integration and culture integration. All the employees of Ford India Sanand Plant were offered to join TPEM. The transition program was carried out in partnership with Ganpat University.
All shop floor employees were also provided the opportunity for higher education. This was a one-of-a-kind initiative in the industry. ITIs were enrolled for Diploma, all Diplomas were enrolled for B.Tech and all B.Tech were enrolled for M.Tech. This initiative helped employees to enhance their career prospects.
Other career centric programs were also launched such as Six Sigma (Green Belt), CESS Level 2, Six Sigma (Black Belt), CESS Level 3 and Six Sigma (Master). Extensive on the job training was provided as well.
