CHENNAI, July 21 -- Top officials of US-based automaker Ford Motor Company on Monday met Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat to discuss expediting manufacturing operations at the company's Rs.3,250-crore facility at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai and its future expansion plans in the state.

Ford Motor currently operates a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai, employing around 12,000 people in technology roles. The company has also recently established a similar facility in Coimbatore.

The Ford delegation included Simonetta B Verdi, managing director, Government Affairs, International Markets Group; Dhiraj Dixit, transformation officer and director of manufacturing, India operations; and Shripad Bhat, country ...