Prime Highlights:
- Vietnamese EV maker VinFast has appointed Hyundai India’s Tapan Ghosh as CEO of its Indian operations, effective October 16.
- The company will launch its VF6 and VF7 SUVs in the ₹16–24 lakh segment, competing with Tata Motors and Mahindra.
Key Facts:
- VinFast’s Tamil Nadu plant will start with a capacity of 50,000 vehicles annually, scalable to 300,000, backed by a $2 billion investment.
- Ghosh brings nearly 30 years of auto industry experience with roles at Hindustan Motors, Honda, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Hyundai.
Background
Vietnamese electric carmaker VinFast is set to appoint Hyundai India’s Tapan Ghosh as the CEO for its Indian operations. Ghosh, currently Vice President and Head of Sales at Hyundai India, has resigned from his role and will officially join VinFast on October 16.
The move comes as VinFast prepares to launch its two new electric SUVs, VF6 and VF7, in India. Priced in the ₹16–24 lakh bracket, the models will compete with popular EVs from Tata Motors and Mahindra.
So far, VinFast’s India strategy has been led by Pham Sanh Chau, CEO of VinFast Asia. The company has already set up an assembly plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The first production of the facility will be 50,000 vehicles per year, with the expansion capacity to be 300,000 vehicles. VinFast has pledged a $2 billion investment to strengthen its local operations.
Ghosh has almost thirty years of experience in the Indian automobile industry. He entered Hindustan Motors in 1995, and he has worked in key positions at Honda, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Tata Motors before joining Hyundai in 2013. His leadership is also likely to enable VinFast to relate better with Indian consumers and gain trust in a competitive market.
VinFast is placing its bet on local production and Indian management, unlike Tesla, which has restricted its presence in India to showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi. According to experts, the strategy would put it at an advantage, but it would still have challenges in winning consumer trust in a highly saturated EV sector.
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