BYD Executives’ India Visit: Chinese EV Giant Plans to Gain from Better Delhi-Beijing Ties

Top executives of Chinese electric carmaker BYD Co. are reportedly planning to visit India soon, as ties between New Delhi and Beijing begin to improve following Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit. BYD’s India unit executives has been operating remotely for the past five years after the central government rejected its plans to set up a manufacturing base in 2023.

According to Bloomberg, the Shenzhen-based carmaker has begun securing visas for senior managers and engineers, including BYD India Managing Director Ketsu Zhang, who is expected to visit in the coming months. Zhang is likely to meet government officials in New Delhi before travelling to the company’s small assembly facility in Tamil Nadu, which currently relies heavily on completely built units (CBUs).

The news agency noted that a few engineers have already been cleared to travel in recent weeks, and vice-president-level executives are expected to follow soon. Other senior leaders are set to apply for visas in the coming weeks.

BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, which surpassed Tesla last year, currently sells four models in India, including the Atto 3. However, sales are capped at 2,500 cars a year under existing regulations. Bloomberg reported that the company is considering launching its Atto 2 compact electric SUV in India early next year, expected to be priced below $22,690 to compete with Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors.

The developments come as Tesla enters India, albeit at a premium price point catering to high-end customers. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s VinFast has also started expanding its presence in the country.

India-China trade relations, strained after the 2020 border clash, are showing signs of recovery amid tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. Last month, leaders of both nations met in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The discussions highlighted the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and tourist visas.

“Prime Minister noted that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy, and their relations should not be viewed through the lens of a third country. The two leaders agreed on the need to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, such as terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Meanwhile, Xi told Modi that the “right choice” was to be friends.