Thoothukudi/Chennai – August 4, 2025: VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer, opened its first overseas manufacturing plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, marking an important milestone in its global expansion strategy.
The ₹16,000 crore facility, spanning 400 acres, is VinFast’s third operational plant, after two in Vietnam. The company wants to make Thoothukudi the “EV capital of South Asia.”
The plant, which was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, will initially produce premium electric SUVs, the VF 6 and VF 7, with a production capacity of 50,000 vehicles per year that can be increased to 150,000 units.
“This plant represents a strategic milestone in our long-term commitment to the Indian market, allowing us to provide high-quality, competitively priced EVs to Indian consumers,” said Pham Sanh Chau, CEO of VinFast Asia.
VinFast signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government at the Global Investors Meet in January 2024 to establish the plant, which is expected to employ 3,000 to 3,500 people directly and thousands more indirectly.
Stalin stated that the project would strengthen Tamil Nadu’s position as India’s EV hub, noting that the state accounts for 40% of total EV production. He mentioned that Thoothukudi has joined Chennai, Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, and Hosur as key automotive clusters, with the new facility helping to drive regional economic development.
The complex consists of a body shop, paint shop, assembly line, quality control centre, logistics hub, and an auxiliary cluster for local suppliers. It will also serve as VinFast’s export hub for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, with the first export orders already secured.
In addition to the plant launch, VinFast Auto India has opened the country’s largest showroom in Teynampet, Chennai. The 4,700-square-foot facility, operated in collaboration with Maansarovar Motors, will feature the VF 6 and VF 7 SUVs.
This is the company’s first dealership in Tamil Nadu, and one of 35 showrooms planned for 27 cities by the end of 2025.
Pham Sanh Chau explained that Chennai was chosen due to its infrastructure, skilled workforce, and industrial base. “With this dealership, we hope to bring our electric mobility solutions closer to customers in Tamil Nadu,” he said during the launch.
VinFast started accepting pre-bookings for the VF 6 and VF 7 on July 15. Customers can make a fully refundable booking of ₹21,000 at the showroom or on VinFastAuto.in.
For digital services and after-sales support, the company has partnered with major city dealer groups such as RoadGrid, myTVS, and Global Assure. In addition, they have collaborated with BatX Energies to recover and reuse batteries.
VinFast aims to sell 200,000 vehicles by 2025 and 1 million units per year by 2030, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable mobility in India and beyond.
