Published: October 9, 2026
StartupFeed Quick Take
- VinFast’s electric two-wheeler arm has signed letters of intent with more than 50 dealers to open showrooms in 34 cities across 15 states and union territories.
- It is a second, separate India retail slate: VinFast’s car arm already runs about 60 showrooms, built since July 2025.
- The VinFast e-motorcycle push targets a segment that made up under 1% of India’s 2.07 Lakh September electric two-wheeler registrations.
More than 50 dealers have signed letters of intent to open VinFast e-motorcycle showrooms across 34 cities, from Delhi to Tamil Nadu, in 15 states.
The agreements mark a second dealer network for VinFast in India. VinFast’s car business, VinFast Auto India, has grown from one Surat showroom in July 2025 to about 60 outlets by August 2026. The car side wants 75 by the end of 2026.
The VinFast e-motorcycle network will span 34 cities
VinFast said in a statement that it has signed letters of intent with more than 50 dealer partners. They cover 34 cities in 15 states and union territories. The list spans Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
A letter of intent is a first step, not a firm dealership contract. The two-wheeler business runs under a separate unit, VinFast India E-Motorcycle, which closed its dealer application window on September 15, 2026.
The deals were signed at the Hai Phong plant in Vietnam. Charging points and after-sales service are also planned for the new cities. The India line-up has not been confirmed.
Anurag Saxena, who runs the e-scooter business in India, framed the signings as a start, not a finish.
“Partnering with more than 50 dealer partners across 15 states and territories and 34 cities marks the beginning of our journey to bring VinFast e-motorcycles across India.”
Anurag Saxena, India CEO, e-scooter business, VinFast. From the company statement, October 9, 2026.
A second India network, built dealer-first
The dealer push comes before the product, by design. The company lined up car dealers ahead of its VF6 and VF7 launch in September 2025. It ran the same play in the Philippines, opening 21 electric motorcycle showrooms there in July 2026.
A Vingroup company listed on the Nasdaq, VinFast entered India only in September 2025. Its three electric SUVs are already on sale across those outlets.
The India plant sits in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, with room for 50,000 vehicles a year and a plan to reach 1.5 Lakh, three times that. A year ago, when VinFast first flagged an India two-wheeler entry, it put a $2 Bn figure on its India commitment. The money and the models still have to arrive.
The e-motorcycle lane is nearly empty
Vahan registration data shows India bought about 2.07 Lakh electric two-wheelers in September 2026, up 12.2% from 1.84 Lakh in August. Almost all of them were scooters. TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto, Ather Energy, Hero MotoCorp and Ola Electric took the top five spots.
| Maker | September 2026 registrations | Market share |
|---|---|---|
| TVS Motor | about 54,000 | 26.1% |
| Bajaj Auto | about 48,400 | 23.4% |
| Ather Energy | about 30,500 | 14.7% |
| Hero MotoCorp | about 24,300 | 11.7% |
| Ola Electric | about 13,450 | 6.5% |
The pie is growing fast. Electric models were about 11.4% of all two-wheeler registrations in September, up from 10.5% in August. First-half 2026-27 registrations crossed one million units for the first time.
By its own account, VinFast is aiming at electric motorcycles, a different and far smaller pool. The homegrown motorcycle makers, Oben Electric and Ultraviolette, each sold only a few hundred units in September. Together they held well under 1% of the market.
The lane is nearly empty. That is the opportunity and the warning at once. Even an established name can slide here.
Ola Electric’s share fell to about 6.5% in September, from roughly 12.6% a year earlier. Across the first half of 2026-27, its share almost halved, to 7.7% from 17.4%. The top five makers now hold about 83% of registrations, so a new brand must take share from someone.
What this means for you: If you run a two-wheeler dealership in a tier-2 or tier-3 city, a cash-rich foreign brand has just added a second India dealer slate to chase. If you build e-motorcycles at Oben, MATTER or Ultraviolette, watch VinFast’s first showroom openings and prices, due later in 2026, closely.
StartupFeed Insight
The brand is buying a shop window before it has a product to put in it. It used the same order of play for cars, and again in the Philippines. A dealer count is intent, not sales. The real test is the Thoothukudi plant, and whether VinFast turns dealer signings into scooters on the road. The electric motorcycle segment VinFast says it wants is almost empty today, so it could lead that niche cheaply. Leading a few thousand units a month is not the same as denting a 2 Lakh scooter market. Watch the first prices, due by December 2026.
By Avinash Mishra, Business Correspondent
Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
Liked this story? Follow StartupFeed on Google so our reporting reaches you first.
