Prashanth RaoVinFast on Sunday appointed Prashanth Rao as Chief Executive Officer of its Middle East regional office, strengthening the electric vehicle maker’s leadership team as it expands its presence across key international markets.
Rao announced his elevation on LinkedIn, saying he was “excited” to take on the CEO role and looked forward to the journey ahead. In his new position, he will be responsible for overseeing regional operations and driving profitability for the Middle East business.
Rao brings nearly two decades of automotive industry experience, having worked across Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Honda, Nissan Motor Corporation and VinFast. His expertise spans aftersales, dealer network development, customer quality, business operations and digital transformation.
Before this appointment, Rao served as Director – Sales, Network Development and Aftersales at VinFast Middle East, where he played a key role in market entry planning and network development across the region. He has also led the set-up of sales and aftersales operations, customer care centres, parts logistics and technical support infrastructure, along with initiatives around EV battery repair and recycling.
Earlier, Rao served as Deputy CEO at VinFast India, where he was involved in electrification and digitalisation initiatives across multiple Asian markets and supported the company’s early plans for vehicle manufacturing and localisation. His cross-market exposure across India, Japan, the Middle East and ASEAN is expected to support VinFast’s growth ambitions as the company scales its global EV footprint.
