Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), the world’s fastest-growing integrated transport utility, and the Port of Marseille Fos, France’s leading port and the Mediterranean’s premier gateway, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation on trade facilitation, port innovation, and energy transition.
This partnership proposes the creation of an IMEC Ports Club to strengthen coordination
among key ports along the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) route,
reinforcing connectivity between India and the European Union. This completes the IMEC
pathway for India-EU trade, that has been boosted by the FTA between India and the EU,
termed as ‘the mother of all deals’ by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi.
The MoU was signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, underscoring
the expanding India–France strategic partnership and aligning it with the broader IMEC and
India–EU trade vision. Launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, the India–Middle
East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a 6,000-km multimodal connectivity initiative
linking India and Europe through integrated maritime routes, rail networks, digital systems
and clean-energy pathways.
On the eastern gateway of IMEC, APSEZ’s ports at Mundra and Hazira form a multimodal
logistics hub connecting South Asia to West Asia. Through this MoU, Marseille Fos
strengthens the western European gateway of the corridor, adding approximately 70 million
tonnes of capacity and extending IMEC’s reach deeper into Europe.
Marseille Fos is one of Europe’s largest integrated multi modal port ecosystems. This
partnership establishes a more structured and coordinated pathway to facilitate India–EU
trade flows.
The partnership will focus on:
• Promoting the IMEC route as a sustainable, secure, and competitive alternative for
Eurasian trade flows, including joint campaigns, participation in international trade
fairs and roadshows, and targeted B2B engagements.
• Technical exchange and capacity building in port digitalisation, smart-port platforms,
data interoperability, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, shore power supply and
low-carbon bunkering.
• Developing the Mundra–Marseille Fos Green Maritime Corridor
• Co-founding an IMEC Ports Club to institutionalise dialogue among corridor ports and
coordinate inputs for policy discussions and investment frameworks supporting IMEC
infrastructure.
“India has already taken a leadership role in advancing this corridor, and with the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement, trade between the participating countries is expected to grow manifold,” said Mr. Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director & CEO, APSEZ. “At APSEZ, our ports in Hazira and Mundra on India’s western coast have already established a seamless pathway across the first and middle legs of the corridor. With this MoU with the Port of Marseille Fos in France, we have now successfully connected the final leg to Europe. This partnership will significantly accelerate the exchange of information and materials among all participating nations, further strengthening economic cooperation and supply-chain resilience.”
Mr Hervé Martel, CEO of the Port of Marseille Fos, added: “We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with APSEZ at a moment when the IMEC corridor is entering a decisive phase.
India and Marseille stand at the two extremities of this future trade backbone, giving both
ports a major responsibility in structuring and energizing this new route. Together, we intend to mobilize and federate the ports involved, and to act as strong advocates of a more efficient, resilient and sustainable connection between our regions.”
