Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and the Port of Marseille Fos have entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen trade connectivity between India and Europe under the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation across trade facilitation, port innovation and energy transition.
APSEZ, the world’s fastest-growing integrated transport utility, and Marseille Fos, France’s leading port and a key Mediterranean gateway—will work together to improve coordination among ports along the IMEC route. A key proposal under the partnership is the creation of an IMEC Ports Club, envisioned as a collaborative platform to align infrastructure development, policy inputs and investment frameworks across participating ports.
The partnership is expected to significantly reinforce India–European Union trade connectivity, completing the IMEC pathway for India–EU commerce. This development comes against the backdrop of the recently concluded India–EU Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to provide a major boost to bilateral trade flows.
The MoU was signed during the visit of Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the deepening India–France strategic partnership and its alignment with the broader IMEC vision. Launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, IMEC is a 6,000-kilometre multimodal connectivity initiative linking India and Europe through integrated maritime routes, rail networks, digital systems and clean-energy corridors.
On the eastern gateway of IMEC, APSEZ’s ports at Mundra and Hazira already serve as a major multimodal logistics hub connecting South Asia with West Asia. With this agreement, the Port of Marseille Fos strengthens the western European gateway of the corridor, adding nearly 70 million tonnes of capacity and extending IMEC’s reach deeper into continental Europe.
The collaboration will focus on jointly promoting IMEC as a sustainable, secure and competitive alternative for Eurasian trade. This includes coordinated participation in international trade fairs, roadshows and targeted business-to-business engagements.
The partnership will also enable technical exchanges in port digitalisation, smart-port platforms, data interoperability, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, shore power supply and low-carbon bunkering. Another key initiative under the MoU is the development of the Mundra–Marseille Fos Green Maritime Corridor, reinforcing the shared commitment to decarbonisation.
Commenting on the development, Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO of APSEZ, said India has already taken a leadership role in advancing IMEC, and with the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement, trade among participating countries is expected to grow significantly. He noted that APSEZ’s ports at Hazira and Mundra have already established seamless connectivity across the first and middle legs of the corridor, and the partnership with Marseille Fos now completes the final European link.
Hervé Martel, CEO of the Port of Marseille Fos, said the partnership comes at a decisive phase for the IMEC corridor. “India and Marseille stand at the two extremities of this future trade backbone, giving both ports a major responsibility in structuring and energising this new route. Together, we intend to mobilise and federate the ports involved and act as strong advocates for a more efficient, resilient and sustainable connection between our regions,” he said.