Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast has inaugurated its first overseas plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, completing the facility in just 17 months, making it the fastest setup by a foreign carmaker in India.
Built across 400 acres at the SIPCOT Industrial Park, the facility features advanced production lines for body, paint, assembly, quality control, and logistics. The plant has an initial production capacity of 50,000 EVs annually, scalable to 150,000 units in later phases.
VinFast has so far invested around ₹1,300 crore in the Tamil Nadu project, which is part of a broader ₹16,000 crore ($2 billion) commitment to India. The plant is expected to generate 3,000–3,500 direct jobs, alongside significant indirect employment through the supplier ecosystem.
Strategically located near the port, the factory is also designed as an export hub for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Initial export orders have already been secured from Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
According to the company, Tamil Nadu was chosen after evaluating 15 locations across six Indian states, with the state’s strong infrastructure, skilled workforce, and port connectivity playing key roles in the decision.
Industry experts highlighted that completing such a large-scale automotive facility in 17 months is unprecedented, as similar plants typically take two to three years.
The launch of the Tamil Nadu facility underscores VinFast’s strategic pivot to Asia, positioning India as both a critical manufacturing base and a gateway for global EV exports.