President John Dramani Mahama has held discussions with India’s Minister for External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, at Jubilee House, with both sides committing to strengthen Ghana-India relations in trade, investment, railway development and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The meeting, which formed part of India’s broader diplomatic engagement with West Africa, also explored ways to deepen economic cooperation and advance a more equitable global order that rejects unilateralism and the abuse of nations.
President Mahama highlighted the growing volume of trade between the two countries, noting that Ghana’s exports to India have risen from about US7 billion. He said Ghana continues to benefit from Indian agricultural machinery, automobiles and buses, describing the relationship as mutually beneficial. Bilateral trade reached a record US$7.97 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, with gold accounting for more than 70 percent of India’s imports from Ghana.
On pharmaceuticals, President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s openness to partnerships that support local drug and vaccine production, in line with the health sovereignty objectives of the Accra Reset, the Africa-led initiative launched in 2025 to reduce dependence on external aid and strengthen self-reliance. He noted that Indian pharmaceutical company Atlantic Life Sciences is already working with Ghanaian indigenous firm KinaPharma on vaccine development in Ghana.
Rail development also featured prominently. The two sides reviewed progress on the Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line, India’s largest development cooperation project in Ghana, financed by the Indian EXIM Bank at a cost of about US$450 million and executed by AFCONS. The line was inaugurated in 2024. President Mahama also cited Jubilee House, built by an Indian company, and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT as enduring symbols of the partnership.
Dr. Jaishankar conveyed warm greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. He said both leaders expect the comprehensive partnership between Ghana and India to be given greater concrete shape through new avenues of cooperation.
“The comprehensive partnership that you and he decided upon was the task of the Foreign Ministers to give it more concrete shape, to explore new possibilities and avenues for cooperation,” Dr. Jaishankar said.
Ghana and India signed several memoranda of understanding during the visit, covering agriculture, healthcare, railway development, zoological studies and ICT. Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said Cabinet had approved Ghana’s application to join BRICS, reflecting the country’s interest in stronger economic partnerships with member states.
The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts to deepen the longstanding Ghana-India partnership, which dates back to Ghana’s independence in 1957. High-level engagements have intensified in recent years, including Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ghana in July 2025 and Dr. Jaishankar’s subsequent visit.
Present at the meeting were Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and other government officials.
