Ghana-India B2B Deal to Drive Technology, Knowledge Transfer – GICC

The Ghana-India Chamber of Commerce (GICC) says its ongoing Ghana-India Business-to-Business (B2B) programme is designed not only to facilitate trade but also to promote technology and knowledge transfer as Ghana intensifies efforts to build a productive and industrialised economy.

Mr. Victor Yao Nyakey, Director of Protocol at the Ghana-India Chamber of Commerce, said the two-day buyer-seller engagement was creating a platform for Ghanaian businesses to connect directly with Indian manufacturers and suppliers and explore opportunities for long-term commercial cooperation.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the second day of the programme on Tuesday, October 6, Mr. Nyakey said the initiative was deliberately structured to bring Ghanaian buyers and Indian sellers together.

“The programme is called the Ghana-India B2B programme. B2B simply means business-to-business. So, it is designed to bring Ghanaian businesses together to meet with the Indian counterparts,” he explained.

According to him, Ghanaian participants comprise buyers and importers seeking to explore the Indian market, while the Indian participants are manufacturers and suppliers seeking to introduce “Made-in-India” products to Ghana and the wider African market.

He described the programme as essentially a buyer-seller meet, providing businesses from both countries with an opportunity to identify suitable products, suppliers and potential commercial partners.

Focus on quality and credible suppliers

Mr. Nyakey said the programme was organised by the Ghana-India Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

He explained that FIEO, established under the Indian Ministry of Commerce, plays an important role in supporting Indian exporters and ensuring that they comply with the relevant requirements for exporting products to international markets.

This, he said, was important for Ghanaian businesses seeking reliable suppliers and quality products from India.

“On the part of Ghana, we are making sure that we get Ghanaians the right suppliers, the right products that they can buy from India,” he said.

He said the collaboration was therefore intended to build confidence among Ghanaian businesses while facilitating access to credible Indian manufacturers and suppliers.

Technology transfer key to Ghana’s industrialisation

Beyond trade, Mr. Nyakey said one of the most important objectives of the engagement was to strengthen Ghana-India cooperation in technology and knowledge transfer.

He said Ghana’s efforts to develop local industries and increase domestic production required the country to learn from countries such as India, which had developed significant manufacturing and industrial capabilities.

“The programme is also to serve as a platform to ensure that both countries, Ghana and India, strengthen their partnership in terms of economic development, particularly the transfer of technology, transfer of knowledge, and many other things that the two countries can benefit from,” he said.

He said Ghana was currently working towards industrialisation and encouraging businesses to manufacture more products locally rather than relying heavily on imports.

“As you know, the government of Ghana is currently helping in the development of the economy through industrialisation,” he said.

He noted that as Ghanaian companies emerged and expanded their manufacturing capabilities, there was a need to learn from experienced industrial economies.

“We can manufacture things on our own, moving from consumption to production. But to do that, you also need to learn from other advanced countries like India as to how they are manufacturing these products or producing these products,” he said.

He added that the knowledge and experience gained could then be transferred and adapted for use in Ghana.

High Commissioner urges stronger economic partnership

Mr. Nyakey said the inaugural day of the programme brought together senior representatives from both countries, including India’s High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Surinder Bhagat.

He said the High Commissioner encouraged Ghanaian and Indian businesses to deepen their economic partnership in ways that would enable businesses in both countries to prosper.

The first day also featured the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA), Mr. Simon Madjie, who highlighted Ghana’s economic prospects and encouraged Indian businesses to increase their investments in Ghana and Africa.

Mr. Nyakey said the GIPC/GIPA presentation highlighted opportunities emerging from Ghana’s economic and industrial development agenda and the potential for Indian businesses to contribute to that process.

GICC President challenges businesses to ‘rise up’

He also highlighted the intervention by the President of the Ghana-India Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Kwabena E. Ekremet, who challenged participating businesses to take greater responsibility for developing their enterprises.

According to Mr. Nyakey, Dr. Ekremet urged businesses not to remain passive but to work harder to build enterprises capable of attracting support from financial institutions and government agencies.

He said businesses needed to strengthen their operations and become sufficiently viable and attractive to institutions that provide financing and support for industry.

The event also featured Mr. Manish Sharma, Joint Director of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, who spoke about opportunities to deepen Ghana-India relations through increased participation of Indian businesses in Ghana.

Mr. Sharma encouraged Ghanaian companies to engage with the Indian businesses participating in the programme, understand their requirements, and explore opportunities for partnerships.

Programme ends with a call for continued engagement

Mr. Nyakey described the two-day programme as successful and expressed hope that it would lead to a series of further engagements between businesses from Ghana and India.

He said the conclusion of the current programme should not mark the end of the relationship-building process but rather provide a foundation for future trade and investment activities.

The Ghana-India B2B programme, he said, represented an opportunity for businesses from both countries to move beyond traditional commercial transactions and explore partnerships that could support industrialisation, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, and broader economic development.

As Ghana seeks to strengthen domestic production and create competitive industries, the GICC believes closer cooperation with Indian manufacturers and businesses could provide local enterprises with access to products, expertise, technology, and knowledge needed to support that transition.

Source:Joseph Kobla Wemakor