Tesla’s global rival and Vietnamese major VinFast is all set to convert India into its new export hub targeting West Asia and Africa, with the first phase of its $2 billion Thoothukudi unit expected to be operational by mid-2025, a top company executive has said. The company, which is eyeing the development of an entire ecosystem, will foray into battery manufacturing and also establish its own charging stations through group company V-Green.
V-Green, a separate company from VinFast with the same founder, Pham Nhat Vuong, will be looking for co-investors to create charging infrastructure. VinFast on Saturday showcased its first electric vehicles for the Indian market at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The Vietnamese Nasdaq-listed automaker unveiled two all-electric premium SUVs—VF 7 and VF 6—that will be launched this year, out of the total seven it has planned.
“We selected Thoothukudi as a location as it is very close to a seaport and airport, which will allow us to export. We have two factories in Vietnam already—one is 50,000 and another around 100,000. We are looking at India for the domestic market, West Asia, and perhaps Africa,” said Pham Sanh Chau, chief executive officer of VinFast Asia, on Friday, in response to a question from Business Standard. The initial phase of the unit will see an investment of $500 million.
Chau added that localisation is the buzzword, and the company will look at manufacturing batteries too in India. “We need to push localisation to the maximum. We will have dealer partners across all metros and Tier-I cities initially.” When asked about V-Green, Chau said the entity will look for co-investors in India.
“We came here with a vision to stay long and invest in our Thoothukudi factory. The factory is under construction. It is likely to be ready by the end of H1 or the beginning of H2,” he added. The establishment of VinFast’s integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu is anticipated to generate approximately 3,000–3,500 employment opportunities locally.
Ashwin Ashok Patil, deputy chief executive officer of sales and marketing at VinFast India, shared, “Our India-centric premium SUVs VF 7 and VF 6 are expected to go on sale from early in the second half of CY 2025. VinFast is appointing dealers across all major towns in India with an omni-channel presence.”
“We believe our premium SUVs VF 7 and VF 6 are the game changers that will accelerate the adoption of EVs in India. We are thrilled to exhibit our broader portfolio of electric mobility solutions at the expo. Our presence here not only underlines our commitment to the Indian market but also showcases our vision for sustainable mobility solutions and advanced technology,” Chau said. He added that the company is in talks with the government to check if it can benefit from the EV policy.
