GreenergyDaily

Sep. 10, 2025

BYD Co. is gearing up for a renewed push into India, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, as warming diplomatic ties pave the way for the Chinese electric-vehicle giant to penetrate the world's most populous country.

After managing operations remotely for five years, easing bilateral travel restrictions will allow BYD's India Managing Director Ketsu Zhang to travel to the South Asian nation in the next couple of months, the people said, asking for anonymity to discuss private plans.

The Shenzhen-based carmaker already has begun securing visas for senior managers and engineers that will enable the company to restart training programs, service machinery and assess the state of its factory in southern India, they added.

At the same time, the world's largest EV seller is weighing a launch of its Atto 2 compact electric SUV in India early next year, which will be the carmaker's cheapest offering in the country and a direct challenge to local mass-market makers like Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Tata Motors Ltd.

On his visit, Zhang is expected to meet with Indian federal government officials in New Delhi before inspecting BYD's passenger vehicle plant, the people said, adding that a few engineers already have been cleared to travel in recent weeks and that vice-president level executives are expected to follow soon.

Other BYD senior leaders will apply for visas in the next few weeks, one of the people said.

BYD's immediate focus will be to gauge market conditions, the status of its existing factory and the viability of expanding its share of India's passenger vehicle business, one of the people said.

Executives are also likely to explore proposals concerning battery pack assembly at a later stage and no new investment announcements are planned during the initial round of visits, one person said.