New Delhi: Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast has tapped a bevy of experienced Indian executives from local units of global automakers as it aims to rapidly expand in the country's battery-powered car, scooter and bus markets.
The company has recruited more than half a dozen senior leaders and executives with prior stints at firms such as Hyundai Motor Company, Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Renault, BMW, and MG Motor over the past eight months, according to regulatory filings with the ministry of corporate affairs and the officials’ social media profiles. VinFast’s strategy mirrors the playbook of established foreign manufacturers that have previously scaled operations in the world’s third-largest automobile market.
The leadership appointments include former Hyundai executives Tapan Ghosh as its chief executive officer (CEO) and Bhartendu Singh as chief marketing officer, followed by ex-Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India executive Anurag Saxena as its deputy CEO.
These appointments come even as VinFast's global headquarters remains closely involved in the operations of its India unit, with the three-member VinFast board of directors led by Pham Sanh Chau, managing director and chief executive VinGroup Asia. Chau was present at several recent company announcements on financing partnerships and the achievement of five-star safety ratings in India over the past few months.
“This appears to be a conscious strategy. VinFast is hiring leaders who have previously helped global OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) successfully scale operations in India, particularly from companies like Hyundai that built strong localization and distribution models,” Amit Kaushik, founder at Mobidx Ai, an automotive-focused analytics firm.
“Such leadership brings immediate credibility with investors and partners. In early-stage market entry, the strength of the management team often becomes a key signal for capital confidence, sometimes even before the product strategy fully plays out,” Kaushik added.
When contacted, a VinFast spokesperson said: "VinFast’s leadership team in India has been built with a focus on experience, capability, and strong understanding of the local automotive market. Many executives bring backgrounds from global automotive companies, providing valuable exposure to international best practices. This combination of local market expertise and global industry experience supports effective execution of VinFast’s strategies in India while staying aligned with the company’s broader global vision."
The composition of the operations team also includes professionals who have previously worked at global auto companies. VinFast's head of sales planning operations, Sudipta Ghosh, worked at Hyundai for eight years before joining the firm while senior network manager Manchit Handa had stints at firms like BMW, Honda, and Hyundai, among others.
Its aftersales teams along with product planning division also have executives that have previously worked at firms like Skoda India and Honda Cars.
The Vietnamese company has pledged to invest around $2 billion in India, identifying the market as one of the key growth hubs at a time when its bid in the North American market has faltered.
Market traction
VinFast, which has helped conglomerate VinGroup group expand internationally and open operations in markets like the US, is not eyeing store expansion in North America for now, and is concentrating on Asian markets like India instead to help offset any loss.
It has been selling two electric cars in India, VF6 and VF7, since September and has risen to the fourth spot in the EV car market this year. In the first two months of calendar year 2026, VinFast has sold over 800 EVs, taking fourth position ahead of carmakers like Kia and Hyundai Motor India.
Currently, the company is assembling its cars at a plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, with an annual capacity of 50,000 units, which will be expanded to 300,000 over the next few years.
“India is a strategic growth pillar in VinFast’s overseas portfolio, complementing mature markets like the US with high-growth, high-potential markets. Together, these markets enable VinFast to balance near-term realities with long-term ambitions,” Chau had earlier told Mint.
The top executive, who has as Vietnam's ambassador to India between October 2018 and September 2022, had also said that the company’s priority is to build a team with deep local insights which can help it expand in India.
“We are engaging with leading talent across industries while creating a framework that blends global expertise with Indian perspective, ensuring VinFast’s growth here is both sustainable and locally relevant,” said Chau.
The Vietnamese automaker is spreading its bets wide in the domestic market, with plans to expand in the electric two-wheeler as well as the electric bus segments. Chau had earlier told Mint in an interview that the company aims to build a broader ecosystem in India, which is why it is committing significant resources upfront.