By Sandra Agyeiwaa OTOO
Management of Business and Financial Times (B&FT) has met with the Indian Embassy to discuss strengthening trade ties and exploring new avenues for economic collaboration between Ghana and India.
The meeting, which was held in Accra between the two institutions, focused on expanding their strategic relationship and pursuing mutually beneficial initiatives.
Leading the B&FT delegation was Director of Operations, Dr. Daniel Anim Prempeh, accompanied by Human Resources Manager, Rhoda Mensah-Ankrah and Sales Administrator, Alberta Armah.
Representing the Indian High Commission was the High Commissioner of India, Manish Gupta; and Head of Business and Economy, V.N. Parameswaran.
During the discussions, Dr. Anim Prempeh expressed a desire to strengthen relations with the Indian Embassy and acknowledged its valuable contributions to Ghana’s economy.
“Over the period, as an institution, we will one way or another be dealing with the embassy. We deem it appropriate that this year – 2025, we need to get closer to the embassy and appreciate what the embassy is doing in terms of your contribution toward the Ghanaian economy,” he mentioned.
“As a business newspaper, we want to explore ways to help promote Indian businesses. We have worked with some of them, but we are open to collaborating on any business programmes the embassy plans to execute,” Dr. Anim Prempeh stated.
According to Dr. Anim Prempeh, the Indian community has contributed significantly to the Ghanaian economy, with India being one of Ghana’s major trading partners.
“I understand there are trade missions; and moving forward, we are ready to partner with the embassy on any trade mission or business activity aimed at engaging the Ghanaian business community. We are committed to bringing our strategic partners and business networks to support such initiatives,” Dr. Anim Prempeh noted.
Historically, dating back to the days of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana and India have maintained strong, collaborative ties.
Dr. Anim Prempeh highlighted B&FT’s strong track record in promoting economic development in Ghana through flagship events such as the Ghana Economic Forum, Women in Business and the Money Summit. He noted that these events serve as platforms for key stakeholders to address economic challenges and propose practical solutions.
For his part, Manish Gupta, the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, commended B&FT for its quality reporting.
“Thank you very much for your visit. I must say I really appreciate the B&FT and the quality of your reporting. I believe it is crucial to educate the Ghanaian people about the economy, as it plays a significant role in shaping perspectives,” Manish Gupta stated.
The high commissioner also highlighted the strong historical ties between Ghana and India, noting that some Indian families have been in Ghana for up to four generations.
“They made this country their home, and Ghanaians offered them all they could. This likely explains why some have been here for up to four generations. Over the last 20 years, the numbers have significantly increased. While it may not be a large community, it plays a crucial role in export,” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of increasing trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in the areas of microfinance, agriculture and renewable energy.
“In Australia, we have a large diaspora, about a million strong. Here in Ghana, it’s smaller, but the best part is that over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a large part of the Indian community. Most of them are active in business and services,” Mr. Gupta said.
“Not many of them are in professional management roles; instead, many are in middle management and are setting up industry and service companies. This good unit helps in capacity building while creating job opportunities, which is probably the best outcome both countries can have. Moving forward, we should focus on increasing Indian private sector involvement and investment in Ghana,” he added.
