VinFast inaugurates first offshore EV assembly plant in India

Vietnamese automaker VinFast on Monday opened its electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in the SIPCOT Industrial Park, Thoothukudi city, Tamil Nadu, India.

The inauguration ceremony took place just more than a year after the ground-breaking, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion journey.

The event also affirmed VinFast’s serious commitment to the world’s third-largest automobile market, while reflecting its confidence in India’s strategic role in the future of the global electric vehicle industry, it said in a release.

VinFast Tamil Nadu is the company’s third operational plant and the fifth project in VinFast’s global network. It is also the first facility to be inaugurated outside Vietnam, demonstrating the global expansion vision and large-scale project implementation capacity.

Attending the ceremony were Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, VinFast Asia CEO Pham Sanh Chau, VinFast’s partners in India, hundreds of Vietnamese and Indian guests, and numerous journalists from both countries.

In his speech, Chau emphasized that the VinFast Tamil Nadu plant is a strategic milestone that confirms the firm’s long-term commitment to the Indian market and lays a solid foundation for sustainable growth. This facility will enable VinFast to deliver high-quality electric vehicles to Indian consumers at competitive prices, he added.

Chau also stated that the plant’s capacity would be expanded to meet rising demand, aiming to develop it into VinFast’s largest export hub serving South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

He revealed that VinFast has already received initial orders from multiple countries in these regions, adding that the firm aims to turn this location into the “electric vehicle capital of South Asia”, serving both the dynamic domestic market and strategic regional expansion.

In his address, Chief Minister Stalin described the event as a landmark moment for Tamil Nadu as a global-scale electric vehicle corporation like VinFast chooses this region as the site of its first plant. He noted the potential for job creation for youth and women, and welcomed VinFast’s investments across multiple sectors, including renewable energy and biotechnology.

The plant covers a total area of 160 hectares and is equipped with internationally standardised production lines featuring high automation and modern technology.

When operating at full capacity, the plant is expected to create direct employment for 3,000 to 3,500 local workers, along with thousands of indirect jobs in the supply ecosystem, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of Tamil Nadu and establishing the region as a key manufacturing hub in India.

VinFast Tamil Nadu will initially focus on assembling two premium electric models - the VF 7 (C-segment) and VF 6 (B-segment). The initial production capacity is set at 50,000 vehicles per year, which can be scaled up to 150,000 units to meet market demand.

With the inauguration of the Tamil Nadu plant, VinFast advances further towards its goal of selling 200,000 vehicles in 2025 and producing one million vehicles annually by 2030.

The VinFast Tamil Nadu plant not only expands the company’s global production capacity but also contributes significantly to India’s green industrial development goals.

VinFast’s extensive electric vehicle ecosystem in India incorporates assembly, distribution, after-sales services, and battery recycling. The company collaborates with local dealership networks and firms such as RoadGrid, myTVS, Global Assure, and BatX Energies to establish a digital after-sales system and to promote circular manufacturing.

With this facility, VinFast accelerates its global expansion, focusing on key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia.