VinFast Enhances Indian Operations By Appointing Honda Veteran Anurag Saxena As Deputy CEO
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has named Anurag Saxena as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for its local operations. The appointment happens as the brand prepares to launch its first set of cars in the market and sets up its initial leadership team to manage distribution and sales.
Before joining VinFast, Saxena worked at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India for nearly 23 years. During this period, he handled sales, strategy, and business development for the two-wheeler manufacturer. From April 2024 to February 2026, he worked as the Operating Officer. In that position, he managed product strategy, network expansion, marketing, and sales digitisation, leading over 135 teams across six divisions.
Saxena was involved in Honda's recent push into electric vehicles. He managed the launch of the brand's first electric vehicle concept store in Bengaluru in June 2025 and worked on its EV network strategy. This background in traditional vehicle distribution and early electric vehicle retail will be put to use as VinFast prepares to introduce its own electric cars.
Saxena also has a background in regional sales management. From 2021 to 2024, he was the Regional Business Head for the North zone, taking care of markets like Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab. During this period, the region saw a 30 percent volume growth, and market share went from 21 percent to 28 percent.
Before his stint in the North zone, he managed operations in the Central region, which included Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, focusing on dealer network expansion. Familiarity with regional buyer habits and dealership management is necessary for VinFast as it begins to set up its local distribution network.
As Deputy CEO, Saxena will handle the initial market rollout and volume targets. The immediate task will be building a retail and after-sales network from the ground up. For a new automaker, getting buyers into showrooms depends largely on having accessible service centres and charging support in place early on.
VinFast will not rely entirely on imports for its long-term plans. The carmaker is building a manufacturing plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The facility is spread across 400 acres. The company has allocated 500 million dollars for the first phase of this facility, which is part of a broader plan to invest up to 2 billion dollars over five years. Once fully functional, the plant will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. This local assembly will help the brand avoid heavy import taxes and price its cars competitively against rivals.
The appointment of Anurag Saxena is part of a broader hiring strategy by VinFast to build a team familiar with local market dynamics. The company is entering a market where electric passenger vehicle sales are growing but still make up roughly two percent of total car sales. Tata Motors currently leads this space, followed by MG Motor and Mahindra.
To capture a portion of this growing segment, VinFast will need a strong product lineup and a reliable service network. The initial lineup is expected to include the VF e34 crossover and the VF 5 compact SUV. These vehicles will initially arrive as imports. Once the Thoothukudi plant is operational, the company will shift to local assembly. This shift is necessary to avoid the high import tariffs levied on fully built electric vehicles and to offer prices that can compete directly with domestic manufacturers.