Federal Minister for Planning & Development Ahsan Iqbal, during his recent visit to Vietnam, shared powerful reflections from his tour of VinFast’s massive automotive assembly lines. Walking through the futuristic facility, he described the moment as witnessing Vietnam’s development story being written in real time. According to his him, VinFast was not just a car manufacturer — it was the embodiment of courage, innovation, and the transformative potential of visionary leadership.
This visit, and the story behind VinFast, offers Pakistan and the wider world an inspiring lesson: nations and individuals, no matter how limited their resources may seem, can achieve greatness if they dare to dream big and pursue their goals with relentless dedication.
VinFast: Vietnam’s Bold Leap into the Future
VinFast’s rise is nothing short of remarkable. With no prior experience in the automotive industry, the company dared to challenge global automotive giants. Within just two years of its founding, VinFast successfully rolled out its first electric vehicle for consumers. By 2024, it had become Vietnam’s best-selling car company, selling more than 67,000 electric vehicles in a single year.
This milestone placed Vietnam among the few nations in the world where electric vehicles have surpassed traditional petrol and diesel cars in sales. In a market long dominated by combustion-engine vehicles, such a transition is nothing less than a revolution. It reflects both Vietnam’s determination to leapfrog into sustainable technologies and the company’s fearless execution of an ambitious vision.
The Man Behind the Vision: Phạm Nhật Vượng
What struck Ahsan Iqbal the most was not just VinFast’s rapid success, but the story of the man behind it — Phạm Nhật Vượng, Vietnam’s first billionaire and a symbol of determination against all odds.
Born in poverty in a war-torn Vietnam, Vượng’s early life gave little hint of the extraordinary path ahead. He studied in the Soviet Union on a scholarship and later moved to Ukraine in the early 1990s as a young mathematician with little money and no connections. To survive, he opened a small noodle shop for students. That modest venture grew into a dried-food business that became so successful that Nestlé eventually bought it for $150 million.
Armed with this success, Vượng returned to Vietnam and founded Vingroup, which grew into the country’s largest conglomerate with ventures in housing, retail, healthcare, education, artificial intelligence, and big data. Yet Vượng recognized that these sectors, though vital, had limited global reach. The automotive industry, however, could serve as a gateway to introduce Vietnam to the world stage.
The Birth of VinFast
In 2017, with no prior factory, no research center, and no experience in automobile manufacturing, Phạm Nhật Vượng founded VinFast. Many doubted whether such a bold initiative could succeed against global giants like Toyota, Honda, and Ford. Yet, within two years, the company produced its first car.
Today, VinFast is more than just a Vietnamese brand. It is expanding internationally, establishing a factory in the United States and scouting locations in Europe. Vượng has even pledged his entire fortune to ensure VinFast becomes a global leader in sustainable transportation.
This extraordinary journey illustrates that innovation is not the exclusive domain of established economies. With courage, vision, and determination, even countries once considered “latecomers” to industrialization can compete at the highest levels.
Ahsan Iqbal’s Reflections
Standing inside VinFast’s high-tech facility, Ahsan Iqbal shared a profound realization: this was not simply an industrial project but a living testament to vision, courage, and commitment.
“I did not just see an assembly line,” he reflected. “I saw the story of a nation daring to dream big. I saw proof that with determination, innovation, and hard work, individuals and countries alike can achieve greatness.”
For Pakistan, grappling with its own economic and industrial challenges, this message is particularly resonant. The VinFast story reminds policymakers, entrepreneurs, and citizens that transformation begins not with resources, but with the courage to envision a better future and the resilience to pursue it.
Lessons for Pakistan
VinFast’s success story offers several lessons that Pakistan can draw upon:
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Dream Big, Start Small
Great achievements often begin with humble steps. Phạm Nhật Vượng started with a small noodle bar in Ukraine. What matters is not the scale at the beginning but the clarity of vision and perseverance. -
Invest in Innovation
VinFast dared to invest in cutting-edge electric vehicles at a time when the industry was still dominated by traditional engines. Pakistan too must prioritize research, innovation, and technology-driven industries. -
Leverage Global Networks
Vượng succeeded by first building a business abroad and then channeling resources back into Vietnam. Pakistani entrepreneurs and expatriates can similarly become bridges for investment, knowledge, and global integration. -
Policy Support & Visionary Leadership
Vietnam’s government created an enabling environment that supported such ventures. Pakistan’s policymakers must ensure continuity, transparency, and long-term vision to foster similar breakthroughs. -
Sustainability is the Future
By focusing on electric vehicles, VinFast aligned itself with global sustainability trends. Pakistan must also embrace green technologies in energy, transport, and industry to remain competitive in the future.
A Universal Story of Transformation
At its heart, VinFast’s journey is not just Vietnam’s story — it is a universal parable of transformation. It demonstrates that change begins when individuals or nations dare to imagine a better tomorrow and devote themselves wholeheartedly to achieving it.
This narrative resonates far beyond Vietnam. For countries like Pakistan, it highlights the importance of nurturing innovation, investing in human capital, and building industries that can compete globally. It is a reminder that greatness is not inherited — it is built by those who refuse to be limited by their circumstances.
Conclusion
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s visit to VinFast in Vietnam was more than a diplomatic stop. The visit underscores Pakistan’s intent to deepen bilateral ties, explore new avenues of collaboration, and learn from Vietnamese models of economic growth and innovation. It was a moment of inspiration — a chance to witness firsthand how vision, courage, and perseverance can transform a nation’s trajectory.
VinFast’s story, and the remarkable journey of Phạm Nhật Vượng, provide powerful lessons for Pakistan and the world:
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Success begins with a dream.
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Innovation requires courage.
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Nations rise when they invest in their people and believe in their future.
As Ahsan Iqbal rightly observed, standing on the factory floor was not just about seeing cars being made. It was about seeing a vision come to life — proof that with the right mindset, even the most ambitious dreams are within reach.
Mr. Sabahuddin Qazi serves as Editor-in-chief of the Press Network of Pakistan.
