VinFast special feature: Electric Ecosystem
The VinGroup doesn’t just own VinFast, but has its fingers in many pies across industries;
As VinFast prepares to make its mark on the highly competitive Indian market, the Vietnamese automaker brings with it the backing of one of Southeast Asia’s most formidable business empires. With the official launch of the VF 6 and VF 7 electric SUVs in September 2025, VinFast’s entry represents more than just another automaker’s arrival – it signals the expansion of a comprehensive ecosystem that has redefined modern Vietnam.
The might of the group
Behind VinFast stands VinGroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, founded by Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, whose journey started as an instant noodle entrepreneur in Ukraine and has ended up with him being Vietnam’s first billionaire. Established initially as Technocom in 1993, VinGroup has evolved into a sprawling empire with a market capitalisation that has crossed USD 21 billion (around `186,000 crore) as of September 2025, making it Vietnam’s most valuable company on their stock market.
Vincom is the commercial property arm of the VinGroup — Image from VinFast
Across industries, changing lives
VinGroup’s focus expands far beyond cars though and touches all aspects of Vietnamese society. Vinmec operates nine hospitals and six clinics, and offers world-class medical care. Vinschool has 56 campuses and nearly 50,000 students under its wing. The educational vertical extends to higher learning through VinUniversity, developed in partnership with Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania. We actually visited it and found it to be a truly world-class facility with experienced international faculty and a sprawling campus. The technology ecosystem includes VinCSS for cybersecurity, VinMotion for robotics and also VinVentures, a technology investment fund. This comprehensive approach to technology, healthcare and education creates a self-reinforcing ecosystem that supports innovation across all Vingroup ventures. Vinhomes dominates the real estate sector as the country’s leading residential developer, while Vinpearl operates premium resorts across Vietnam and Vinvom is a chain of shopping centres. VinSpeed is involved in developing the railway sector, while VinEnergo is focussed on renewable energy. Closer to the automotive space, GSM is a taxi company owned by the group that exclusively uses VinFast cars. Green Future operates in the electric car rental and leasing sector. V-Green, owned by Vuong himself, sets up electric car charging ecosystem.
Vinmec hospitals are an integral part of the ecosystem — Image by VinFast
“You can see GSM everywhere in Vietnam. We have the same thing in Indonesia, in Laos and we are launching very soon in the Philippines. We want to do the same thing in India,” Pham Sanh Chau, VinFast CEO Asia says. It is a smart strategy, as it ensures VinFast will have a customer for its cars in the future. In Vietnam, cars such as the VF 5 and VF e34 are used in this service and they could be on the cards if GSM does become a reality in India.
VinUniversity has a sprawling campus in Hanoi — Image from VinFast
The heart of VinFast
At the centre of VinFast’s global ambitions is the state-of-the-art manufacturing complex in Haiphong. Spanning 828 acres on Cat Hai island, the facility was constructed in just 21 months with an initial investment of USD1.5 billion (₹13,311 crores), demonstrating VinFast’s commitment to rapid execution – something we have seen both in their product development and in the construction of the India plant.
We visited the press shop, body shop and general assembly shop, and found that this was truly a facility of international standard, working with a high level of automation. The press shop took sheet metal and turned it into body panels. More impressive was the fact that the factory can modify the tooling in-house. The bodyshop spanned a 100,000 sq. metres and had a total of three lines, with the frame line nearly fully automated.
VinFast is expanding its reach in the global markets with VF 6 and VF 7 models — Image from VinFast
The general assembly shop was producing cars at the rate of 38 per hour, or 250,000 a year. This shop was interesting because nine different models from VinFast were being built on a single line. With a total of 100 stations, battery assembly was also done on this line. More recently, VinFast’s second plant went live just seven months after breaking ground. This factory is spread across 360,000 sq. metres and has a capacity of building 200,000 cars per year.
Integrated living
VinFast’s vision extends beyond traditional automotive manufacturing to encompass a complete ecosystem integrated with VinGroup’s broader infrastructure. The integrated model demonstrates particular strength in urban planning, where VinGroup developments combine Vinhomes residential projects with Vinschool educational facilities, Vinmec healthcare services, and VinFast mobility solutions, creating self-contained communities that represent the future of sustainable urban living. This holistic approach positions VinFast not merely as an automaker, but as a key component in a broader vision of modern, sustainable living.
Residential infrastructure is also a part of VinGroup’s agenda — Image from VinFast
India is the next frontier. With a USD500 million investment in Indian manufacturing and production capacity of up to 150,000 vehicles annually, VinFast’s entry represents a significant commitment to the Indian market and the broader South Asian region. And at the heart of it, VinGroup will be aiming to provide more than just cars – but an entire ecosystem around their cars and more broadly, a larger ecosystem to help make lives better.