Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France’s Port of Marseille Fos to strengthen cooperation in trade facilitation, port innovation, and energy transition. The agreement aims to enhance connectivity along the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), positioning both ports as key gateways for India–European Union trade.
The MoU was signed during the visit of Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the growing strategic partnership between India and France. The collaboration aligns with the broader vision of IMEC, which was launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi to create a 6,000-km multimodal connectivity network linking India and Europe through maritime routes, rail systems, digital infrastructure, and clean-energy pathways.
Strengthening the IMEC Route
The partnership proposes the creation of an IMEC Ports Club to improve coordination among major ports along the corridor. The initiative is designed to institutionalise dialogue, streamline trade flows, and support infrastructure investments tied to IMEC.
On the eastern end of the corridor, APSEZ operates key ports at Mundra and Hazira, forming a multimodal logistics hub that connects South Asia to West Asia. On the western gateway, Marseille Fos will expand IMEC’s reach deeper into Europe, adding around 70 million tonnes of capacity to the corridor’s trade network.
Marseille Fos is one of Europe’s largest integrated multimodal port ecosystems, making it strategically important for strengthening India–EU trade flows. The agreement is also seen as complementing the ongoing India–EU trade engagement framework.
Focus Areas of the Partnership
The collaboration will promote IMEC as a secure and competitive trade route for Eurasian cargo flows through joint campaigns, trade fairs, and business-to-business engagements. It will also include technical cooperation in areas such as port digitalisation, smart-port platforms, data interoperability, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, shore power supply, and low-carbon bunkering solutions.
A key component of the agreement is the development of the Mundra–Marseille Fos Green Maritime Corridor, aimed at supporting sustainable shipping and reducing carbon emissions across the route.