Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin recently met with senior representatives of Ford Motors during his visit to the United States, aiming to reignite a long-standing relationship with the automobile giant. The discussions centred around the potential revival of Ford's manufacturing facility in Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai, which has been dormant since the company exited the Indian market in September 2021. Ford Motors, a prominent player in the global automotive industry, invested $2 billion in India over three decades but struggled to find a foothold in the highly competitive and price-sensitive Indian market. In 2021, the company ceased production operations and exited the Indian passenger vehicle market, citing the inability to sustain profitability. The Maraimalai Nagar plant, one of Ford's two Indian facilities, has remained inactive since the exit.