India’s EKA Mobility plans vehicle assembly plant in Ghana

Indian automaker EKA Mobility, which specializes in electric buses, utility tricycles, and commercial vehicles, is considering establishing an assembly plant in Ghana, according to local media reports. The project was discussed during a meeting between company officials and Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Sampson Ahi.

The initiative will be developed in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui Corporation and local distributor Rana Motors. It will focus on assembling electric tricycles, buses, and commercial vehicles for both domestic use and export to West Africa. If implemented, the project would strengthen Ghana’s position as a regional automotive hub. Along with Nigeria, Ghana already hosts most of the assembly operations in the region, driven by partnerships with international manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan, and Kia.

Local players are also emerging, as the government promotes domestic brands through its Automotive Development Policy launched in 2017 to attract investment in local assembly and reduce reliance on imports. However, Ghana’s automotive industrialization faces structural challenges. Local component integration remains limited due to an underdeveloped supply base capable of consistently providing parts and materials to assemblers.

This constraint reduces potential job creation and skill transfer benefits. Locally assembled vehicles also struggle to gain market traction, often perceived as lower in quality and more expensive than imported used cars, which still dominate sales.

According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, Ghana imports about 100,000 vehicles annually, mainly secondhand cars from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.