With Ford shutting down its plant in Chennai next year, the Kamarajar port at Ennore in North Chennai will lose an annual revenue of nearly ₹16 crore. Ford used to export nearly 80,000 cars, with the port earning ₹2,000 per car. “It will be a huge loss for the port. However, we are talking to other OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] to compensate for the loss,” said Sunil Paliwal, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Kamarajar Port Ltd.
Ford to shut India plants; 4,000 jobs on the line
Of the 2 lakh cars exported through the port, Ford accounted for 40-45 per cent, he told
Currently, Renault, Nissan and Isuzu are using the port for exports while Hyundai uses the Chennai port.
Kamarajar Port Ltd had invested ₹140 crore to build a car-cum-general cargo berth to handle 3 million tonnes per annum. The berth has a backup area of 25,000 sq m and transit parking for 1,750 cars. The port also has 141,000 sq m of dedicated parking for 10,000 cars, according to the port’s website.