Suzuki, TradeWaltz and MOL join hands to boost automobile trade between India and Africa

By Admin

22 Aug, 2025

In a major development aimed at strengthening trade and connectivity between two rapidly growing regions, Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL), TradeWaltz, Inc, and Suzuki Motor Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on boosting automobile trade between India and Africa. The agreement was formalized on Thursday at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama.

A Strategic Collaboration for Growth

The MoU sets the stage for the three companies to cooperate in identifying challenges within trade operations, particularly in the transportation of automobiles from India to Africa. Together, they will explore innovative solutions through digitalisation and promote decarbonisation, reflecting the growing need for sustainable and efficient global trade systems.

This partnership also aligns with the Japan–India Cooperation Initiative for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa, launched earlier in February 2025 at the Japan–India–Africa Business Forum. By pooling their individual strengths, MOL, Suzuki, and TradeWaltz aim to contribute to the economic development of both India and Africa while enhancing supply chain resilience.

Strengthening India–Africa Trade Corridors

MOL, the world’s second-largest ship owner, is actively expanding automobile transport services from India to Africa in response to growing demand. The company’s expertise in safe and sustainable transport adds significant value to this partnership.

Capt Anand Jayaraman, Executive Officer of MOL South Asia and Middle East Region, highlighted the vision behind the collaboration:
“This partnership is an important step towards building a robust automobile trade corridor between India and Africa. By combining MOL’s expertise in safe, sustainable transport with the innovation of our partners, we aim to create a more digitalised, resilient, and future-ready supply chain that contributes to the growth of both the regions.”

For Suzuki, Africa presents a strong opportunity. The company aims to support the mobility needs of Africa’s growing middle class by supplying compact, durable, and fuel-efficient vehicles manufactured in India. With affordability and efficiency at the core, Suzuki sees strong parallels between customer demands in India and Africa, which makes the trade link strategically significant.

Driving Trade Digitalisation with TradeWaltz

TradeWaltz brings a unique strength to this collaboration through its blockchain-based trade platform, which streamlines processes and digitises trade data across industries. Backed by 18 major corporations, including Toyota Tsusho, Mitsubishi Corporation, and NTT DATA, the platform is built to enhance efficiency and transparency in global trade.

The company has already conducted significant groundwork in both Africa and India. In 2024, it carried out a market study on trade digitalisation in Kenya under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s ‘AfDX’ initiative, followed by another in India in 2025 under METI’s ‘Global South Fund Master Plan Development Project’. These experiences position TradeWaltz well to bridge gaps in cross-border trade processes.

Building a Sustainable Future Together

The partnership is being hailed as a first concrete step toward building a robust automobile supply chain connecting India and Africa. By working together, the companies aim to embody the spirit of TICAD, driving not just business but also shared prosperity through sustainable, digitalised, and future-ready trade systems.

With MOL’s global shipping expertise, Suzuki’s mobility solutions, and TradeWaltz’s cutting-edge digital platforms, this collaboration is expected to enhance economic connectivity while fostering sustainable growth in both India and Africa.