India’s EKA Mobility promises to float 150 electric buses in Zanzibar before 2027

It will cost only 0.27 dollars to ride the soon to be commissioned electric buses in Zanzibar. This is equivalent to 700 Tanzanian shillings.

The Zero Emission EV passenger carriers start service on the first day of August 2026.

The main Unguja archipelago is a small Island but is set to have more than 150 electric buses before 2027.

India’s EKA Mobility has flagged off the 12-metre electric buses in Zanzibar, marking the company’s entry into the island’s public transport market.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by the Isles’ leader Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who inaugurated the first fleet of electric buses for public transport operations.

The initial fleet of 15 electric buses is scheduled to begin commercial operations on 1 August 2026.

The deployment is part of a broader electric mobility programme under which 35 buses have been ordered, with the fleet expected to expand to 150 EKA electric buses by the end of the year, according to the company.

The programme aims to support the adoption of electric public transport while creating employment opportunities and providing technical training for local personnel.

The EKA Mobility President in charge of Export Marketing and Supply Chain Management Vijay Yelne, said the launch of Zanzibar’s first electric bus fleet is a strong validation of the company’s technology and their ability to deliver world-class electric mobility solutions beyond India.

“It demonstrates that products designed and manufactured in India can successfully meet the evolving mobility needs of international markets. This is another step in taking Indian engineering to the world, and we see Africa as a key growth market in EKA’s global expansion journey.”

EKA Mobility is an Indian electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra.

The event was attended by senior officials from the Government of Zanzibar, Bishwajit Dey, High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, representatives from the Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF) and Global Rapid Transport (GRT), and officials from EKA Mobility.

As part of the project, EKA Mobility is working with Global Rapid Transport (GRT) to train local personnel in vehicle operations, maintenance, software systems, and safety.

The Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF), together with GRT, is also supporting capacity-building and operational preparedness initiatives.

According to the company, the buses are built on its electric vehicle platform and are designed for urban public transport applications.

The deployment adds to EKA Mobility’s international operations in the electric commercial vehicle segment.