CHENNAI, India -- Ford Motor Co. will invest $72 million to expand its powertrain facility in Chennai, India, to further support its sales and export growth plans in the country.

When the expansion program is completed in mid-2012, the engine plant's production capacity will increase from 250,000 to 330,000 units per year, for an additional output of 80,000 diesel engines annually.

"This investment reinforces the importance of our Chennai plant and Ford's continued expansion in India," said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India. "This expansion will allow us to provide more technologically advanced and fuel-efficient engines to our customers in India and in markets around the world where we export Chennai-built vehicles."

The expansion of diesel engine production capacity will bring Ford's total investment in India to more than $1 billion.

"The new investment also further supports our plan to introduce eight new global Ford vehicles in India by 2015," Boneham added. "When the expansion is finished, a third production shift will be added at the engine assembly plant, creating more than 300 new direct jobs."

The automaker said this new investment is part of Ford India's transformation into a major global export and manufacturing hub -- 1.6 TiVCT, 1.4 HC and Duratorq engines will be exported from the country.

Since June 2010, more than 4,000 India-built 1.4L and 1.6L petrol engines have been exported to Thailand every month. Diesel engines have also been exported to South Africa since 2008, and Ford plans to export India-built petrol and diesel powertrains to more markets in the near future.