Major Foreign EV Manufacturing Investments
VinFast (Vietnam)
Vietnam’s VinFast is building a large EV manufacturing facility in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu with an initial investment of about ₹16,500 crore (~US$ 2 billion).
The plant will start with annual capacity around 50,000 vehicles (scalable to 150,000), producing models like the VF 6 and VF 7.
India is being positioned not just as a domestic market but as a regional export hub serving South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Suzuki Motor (Japan)
Suzuki Motor has committed around ₹70,000 crore (≈US$ 8 billion) to India over the next 5–6 years.
The company has begun production of its first locally-made EV (e-Vitara) at the Gujarat plant, making India a global production center with potential exports to 100 countries.
JSW Group – SAIC Motor (China) Joint Venture
Through a strategic partnership with China’s SAIC Motor, JSW MG Motor India is developing EV and EV battery manufacturing capacity.
Plans include large-scale EV production and associated battery supply chains, aiming for 1 million units by 2030.
European and Global Automakers (Interest / Plans)
Several global OEMs have expressed plans or interest in India’s EV ecosystem:
Mercedes-Benz and Škoda-VW (Europe) have publicly shown interest in EV manufacturing in India.
Stellantis (via its partnership with China’s Leapmotor) is planning to target the Indian EV market with models developed by its China partner, including a mix of local production or assembly.
Hyundai & Kia (South Korea)
Hyundai is expanding EV production in India – converting existing plants to support EVs and battery pack assembly units, with plans to launch multiple EV models and expand capacity.
Foreign Investment in EV Components & Batteries
Denso (Japan): Denso is investing around ₹250 crore in a motor generator plant in Uttar Pradesh to supply hybrids and EVs, indicating component-level foreign manufacturing interest.
AESC (China/Japan-linked): AESC Group Ltd. (with Chinese ownership but Japanese base) purchased a 12% stake in Tata’s EV battery arm, reflecting foreign capital flowing into battery manufacturing capacity in India.
Government Policies Driving Foreign Investments
SPMEPCI Scheme:
India’s Strategic Policy for Manufacturing EVs and Components of India (SPMEPCI) offers reduced import duties (15%) on up to 8,000 EVs annually if global OEMs commit to at least ₹4,150 crore ($500 million) in local manufacturing.
This is aimed at attracting companies such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and others to commit to building production plants in India.
PLI & Other Incentives: Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) programs and EV-specific schemes (like FAME) provide support for local production, which improves the ROI for foreign investors in manufacturing.
FAME Scheme (Phase II) – supports demand incentives for electric 2W, 3W, 4W and buses, plus investment in charging infrastructure.
PM-eDRIVE & PLI Schemes — broader support for local EV and battery manufacturing, with incentives to build supply chains and attract investment.
New EV policies aim to attract foreign EV manufacturers by offering concessional tariffs tied to investment commitments.
Trends & Strategic Importance
India as an EV Export Hub: Several foreign manufacturers see India not only as a domestic market but also as an export base for South Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Battery Manufacturing Focus: With global battery supply chains shifting, foreign investments are increasingly tied to not just vehicle assembly but also battery gigafactories and component ecosystems.
India Government Initiatives
The Government of India encourages foreign investment in the automobile sector and has allowed 100% FDI under the automatic route. Some of the recent initiatives taken by the Government of India are:
On August 26, 2025, India’s EV push included 14,028 e-buses, 9,332 public charging stations, and over Rs. 54,000 crore (US$ 6.32 billion) in investments through PM E-DRIVE and PLI schemes to boost domestic manufacturing and green mobility.
PM E-DRIVE, started in October 2024, is India’s umbrella scheme to accelerate EV adoption and ecosystem support with a Rs. 10,900 crore (US$ 1.31 billion) outlay, encompassing e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-buses, heavy EVs, public charging infrastructure, vehicle testing, and localisation, with its tenure extended to March 31, 2028.
Under the upcoming CAFÉ 3 norms, effective from April 2027, India will place electric vehicles and flex-fuel vehicles which use ethanol-petrol blends on equal regulatory footing.
As of July 31, 2025, India has advanced EV adoption through FAME-II, PM E-DRIVE, and PM-eBus Sewa, committing over Rs. 42,000 crore (US$ 4.91 billion) towards incentives, infrastructure, and localisation across vehicle segments and regions.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries has launched FAME- III Scheme, with a budget of Rs. 10,900 crore (US$ 1.29 billion) to promote electric mobility and reduce reliance on fossil fuels over a two-year period from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026.
Under Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 government aims to support 3,72,215 EVs including e-2W (3,33,387) and e-3W (38,828 including 13,590 rickshaws & e-carts and 25,238 e-3W in L5 category).
Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India with the approval of Department of Expenditure has launched Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 to further accelerate the adoption of EVs in the country which is a fund limited scheme with a total outlay of Rs. 500 crore for the period of 4 months, from 1st April 2024 to 31st July 2024.
In January 2024, the Ministry of Heavy Industries extended the tenure of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components by one year. The incentive will now be applicable for a total of five consecutive financial years, until March 31, 2028.
Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) officials revealed that India plans to launch a new scheme to incentivise electric vehicle purchases and improve charging infrastructure, aligning with the interim budget’s focus on eco-friendly transportation. Also, the allocation of US$ 321.5 million (Rs. 2,671.33 crore) for 2024-25 is expected to be utilized by March 31, 2024.
Under phase-II of FAME India Scheme, subsidy amounting to US$ 696.8 million (Rs. 5790 crores) has been awarded to EV manufacturers on sale of 13,41,459 number of electric vehicles till January 31, 2024.
The FAME Scheme was extended for a further period of 2 years up to 31st March, 2024