VinFast To Set Up Battery Manufacturing Facility In India: Report

VinFast is planning to set up a new manufacturing plant in India in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, according to a report by Reuters. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Vietnamese firm will manufacture batteries in the southern state. 

A source told the news agency that this new plant will be different from its previously announced plans to assemble completely knocked down (CKD) units from Vietnam. 

VinFast is touted to be in the same league as Tesla and BYD but hasn’t yet commented on this development. Sources say that the Vietnamese company will make an announcement regarding its new battery manufacturing facility in the coming days. VinFast says it will reveal the details of its plans at “an appropriate time”. 

"Several VinFast officials have visited Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu to check out sites," another source told Reuters. 

VinFast in October informed that it would build assembly plants in India and Indonesia, both having a capacity of around 50,000 cars each. VinFast also intends to invest $200 million (roughly ₹1,664 crore) initially, and production is expected to commence in 2026. VinFast is also open to bringing electric bikes and electric cars to India, the first source told Reuters.

Furthermore, Green SM, an EV taxi operator which VinFast’s founder Pham Nhat Vuong mostly owns, also has plans to establish its operations in India, as told by VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy to Reuters. 

Many other manufacturers have already set up battery manufacturing facilities in India or are in the process of doing so. Maruti Suzuki already has a plant operating at its facility in Gujarat and a second one is already in the works. Tesla is also working on a plan to come to India and according to sources, it will also set up a plant in Gujarat. However, the American EV manufacturer is still negotiating for its plant but it is likely to conclude soon. 

Taiwanese manufacturer Gogoro, which recently entered India, is also planning to ramp up its battery-swapping infrastructure. It recently announced a partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to increase battery-swapping outlets in India.