New Delhi: VinFast is preparing to enter India’s electric bus market with its first models scheduled to arrive by August 2026, marking a major expansion of the Vietnamese automaker’s footprint in one of its most important growth destinations. The company is expected to display its electric bus lineup at Prawaas 5.0 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, as it readies a broader push that also includes local manufacturing in the future.
The buses are part of VinFast’s larger India roadmap, which began with the rollout of the VF 6 and VF 7 electric cars and now includes planned entry into the electric two-wheeler space and the launch of its GSM ride-hailing service next year. VinFast has already invested about Rs 500 million in its Thoothukudi facility in Tamil Nadu, part of a broader two-billion-dollar commitment for India. The plant, which currently produces electric cars, has an annual capacity of 50,000 units and can be expanded to 150,000.
Pham Sanh Chau, Chief Executive Officer of VinFast Asia, said the company sees a clear opportunity in India’s shift toward sustainable mobility, especially in public transport. He said electric buses will be available by August 2026 and emphasised their importance in moving fleets away from internal combustion engines. Discussions with several State Transport Undertakings, including those in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are already underway.
VinFast’s electric bus lineup spans 6 to 12 metres and is currently sold in Vietnam, with recent introductions in Europe. The company says the buses can travel up to 260 kilometres on a single charge and use a 281 kWh battery pack. While Chau did not confirm a manufacturing timeline for electric buses in India, he said the company intends to work toward full localisation in the long term.
India’s push toward clean public transport has been supported by large government programmes, especially the PM E-bus Sewa and the PM E-Drive scheme launched in October 2024. The latter carries a total outlay of Rs 10,900 crore, with Rs 4,391 crore dedicated to boosting electric buses in urban transport systems. Electric buses are expected to account for 20 to 30 percent of the overall market by 2030.
The arrival of VinFast adds new competition to a fast-growing segment led by established players such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland’s Switch Mobility, Olectra Greentech, PMI Mobility, PMI Electro Mobility and JBM Auto. The country’s largest electric bus tender, calling for 10,900 buses under the PM E-Drive scheme, was recently floated by Convergence Energy Services Ltd, signalling the scale of opportunity ahead for manufacturers entering the space.