Ford India plans to run its Chennai plant around the clock to meet strong domestic and export demand for the EcoSport compact SUV. 

The Economic Times said the plant is expected to be running 24 hours by the second half of 2014, a first in Ford’s 17 years presence in India.

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The company plans to produce 160,000 units in 2014 on three shifts and expansion to 200,000 is possible if suppliers can ramp up to cope.

Ford currently makes about 350 EcoSports a day but plans an increase to 450 by next June and 600 by October to meet demand from Europe and Japan, the paper said. By then total production will be 750 to 850 units a day including other models such as Figo and Fiesta. 

Hyundai’s Indian plant in Chennai already operates three shifts, the paper noted. 

Ford reportedly is sitting on 60,000 domestic ‘bookings’ (orders) for the EcoSport and has so far delivered 35,000.

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