Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has appointed Prashanth Rao as CEO of VinFast Middle East. In another development, Dream Sports’ chief technology officer Amit Sharma has resigned after a decade with the company.
VinFast appoints Middle-East CEO
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has appointed Prashanth Rao as CEO of VinFast Middle East, as the company steps up its expansion in the region, according to an announcement.
In this role, Rao will spearhead the company’s regional strategy, accelerate EV adoption, and establish a robust footprint in a rapidly growing market.
As regional CEO, Rao will manage VinFast’s day-to-day operations, lead strategic growth, expand dealer networks, and elevate the customer experience across the Middle East, with a core focus on delivering sustainable mobility solutions.
The appointment comes as VinFast continues to expand internationally beyond its home market, with the Middle East emerging as a strategic market amid growing government support for electric mobility and sustainability initiatives.
Rao brings more than two decades of experience in the automotive industry across the Middle East, India, Europe, Africa, and Asia Oceania, covering both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. Before taking on the new role, he served as deputy CEO of VinFast India, where he helped establish the company’s EV ecosystem, including charging infrastructure and dealer networks.
Prior to joining VinFast, Rao held senior positions at Nissan INFINITI Middle East, Honda Middle East, and Toyota Kirloskar Motors, overseeing operations across 19 countries. He has also managed dealer networks spanning more than 40 locations and led projects involving EV infrastructure and battery repair.
Dream Sports CTO resigns
Dream Sports’ chief technology officer Amit Sharma has resigned after a decade with the company and is set to launch a new venture focused on artificial intelligence.
Sharma, who joined the Dream11 parent in 2016 following roles at US firms such as Netflix and Yahoo, indicated that he is moving on to build his next venture, which is currently in stealth mode. His departure comes at a time when Dream Sports has been restructuring its operations.
Sharma had played a key role in scaling the firm’s technology team from about 20 to over 600 people and in building several of its core platforms.
“I joined Dream11 when it was just a 45-person company with a 20-member tech team. For the first time, I was given the opportunity to combine my passion for sports with my profession in tech. Over the years, we scaled that tech team to 600 strong—all based right here in Mumbai, proving wrong everyone who said it couldn’t be done. Together, we built some of the most technically complex systems and most-loved apps in the country,” Sharma said in a LinkedIn post.
