We are committed to Thoothukudi’s development, says VinFast Asia CEO

VinFast’s newly inaugurated manufacturing plant in Thoothukudi will spur growth and development in the region, VinFast Asia CEO Pham Sanh Chau said on Monday, August 4, 2025.

He said Thoothukudi was once regarded as backward and underdeveloped, but now, “its name is appearing on the map”.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Chau said, “We have made a commitment to the local government that we would recruit massively the people from here [the local population] if they are qualified. We have recruited about 200 people from local polytechnic colleges.”

Referring to commitments made under the ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ scheme, he said, “We have invested ₹10 crore in a corporate social responsibility initiative, under which we will train students from colleges in Thoothukudi alone, and recruit them into our plant. It is a long-term project.”

The objective was to train the local youth in new technology, he added.

Mr. Chau said the overall investment of ₹16,000 crore was being made in tranches, and future investments would be used for upgrading the plant and expanding its operations.

He said deliveries of cars from the plant would begin sometime this month.