Elon Musk's Tesla rival VinFast enters India: RoadGrid to support charging; $500 million plant in works

Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast has announced a partnership with Indian EV charging and aftersales solutions provider RoadGrid, as it gears up for its product launch in India later this year.VinFast, the electric vehicle subsidiary of Vietnam’s Vingroup, is gearing up for a bold debut in India, positioning itself for competition with US based EV giant Tesla.In a statement on Tuesday, the company said that the collaboration is aimed towards strengthening its customer support network across the country by ensuring accessible and reliable charging infrastructure and aftersales services.The statement said that as the firm prepares to launch its products in India, it is building a strong foundation to offer customers nationwide accessibility, reliability, and convenience, with its partnership with RoadGrid forming a key part of this strategy.VinFast plans to launch its VF7 and VF6 models in India before the festive season. It also intends to expand its aftersales operations through service partnerships with players like RoadGrid."Our goal is to make owning an electric vehicle as effortless and reassuring as possible. By joining hands with RoadGrid, we are taking meaningful steps to ensure that every VinFast customer in India has access to dependable charging and responsive service," said Pham Sanh Chau, CEO of VinFast Asia, quoted by PTI.RoadGrid CEO Deepesh Shrinath called VinFast’s entry into the Indian EV space a “turning point” and said the company would help build smart infrastructure backed by real-time connectivity and a solid service network.VinFast is investing $500 million to build a manufacturing facility in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. The plant is expected to be operational by early in the second half of 2025, with plans to scale up production to 1.5 lakh EVs annually. The company also aims to use India as a base for exports to the Middle East and Africa.