Tata Motors has successfully revitalized its Sanand production facility after spending 4.5 million man hours and Rs 1,300 crore on its retooling endeavour. Acquired from Ford for Rs 725.7 crore in January last year, the unit is now bustling with activity, rolling out both petrol and diesel variants of the Nexon since January and the Nexon EV since April 2024.
With an impressive turnaround time of just 16 hours per unit, Tata Motors is said to have added over 100 robots and the integrated Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) software and control units into the facility’s operations. With additional help from the Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Technolohgies and JLR, the project called was the ‘One Tata Project’. Spread across 460 acres, the factory has an annual production capacity of 3 lakh units, scalable up to 4.2 lakh units in the future.
We were invited to take a tour of the facility that revealed its manufacturing processes. In the paint shop, the entire monocoque of the Nexon undergoes electro-static finishing before primer and paint are applied by robotic arms. The facility is among the first in India to feature a continuously moving paint shop line with a 50 percent automation level. Following painting, the vehicle’s underbody is joined to the doors through automated spot welding machines, with roof installation taking place separately.
The production line’s modularity allows for the simultaneous production of four different platforms and up to eight variants without batching. This flexibility positions Tata Motors to produce upcoming models like the Curvv alongside the Nexon.
As vehicles leave the production line, variant-specific features are added at the Trim, Chassis, and Final shop, where engines are started for the first time. Each Nexon undergoes rigorous inspection and testing, including a check for functions, before being taken to the in-house test track to ensure compliance with Tata Motors’ standards for ride and handling.
Employing over 1,000 workers, many of whom are former Ford employees, the Sanand facility prioritizes workforce development. Tata Motors has partnered with Ganpat University to offer upskilling programs at an in-house facility named Nalanda, a first in the industry. Workers are provided opportunities to pursue UGC-approved diplomas, BTech, and MTech programs.
