THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, FEBRUARY 18, 2026
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and Port of Marseille
Fos have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to deepen collaboration
on trade facilitation, port innovation and energy transition, marking a
significant milestone in the operationalisation of the India–Middle East–Europe
Economic Corridor (IMEC) and strengthening the India–Europe logistics bridge.
The agreement proposes the creation of an IMEC Ports Club to enhance
coordination among key maritime gateways along the corridor, reinforcing
multimodal connectivity between India and the European Union. The development
effectively completes the India–EU trade pathway under IMEC, which has gained
momentum alongside the recently concluded India–EU Free Trade Agreement,
described as “the mother of all deals” by the India’s Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
The MoU was signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron,
highlighting the growing India–France strategic partnership and aligning
bilateral cooperation with the broader IMEC and India–EU trade architecture.
Launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, IMEC is a 6,000-km multimodal
connectivity network integrating maritime routes, rail corridors, digital
infrastructure and clean energy supply chains to link India with Europe via
West Asia.
On the eastern flank of the corridor, APSEZ’s ports at Mundra and Hazira
serve as a major multimodal logistics hub connecting South Asia to West Asia.
The addition of Marseille Fos as the western European gateway brings around 70
million tonnes of capacity to the network and extends the corridor’s reach
deeper into continental Europe. As one of Europe’s largest integrated
multimodal port ecosystems, Marseille Fos provides a structured entry point for
India–EU cargo flows and strengthens supply-chain resilience.
Beyond capacity expansion, the partnership focuses on promoting the IMEC
route as a sustainable and competitive alternative for Eurasian trade through
joint global outreach, technical collaboration on port digitalisation and smart
platforms, data interoperability, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, shore power
and low-carbon bunkering. A key pillar is the development of a Mundra–Marseille
Fos Green Maritime Corridor, aimed at decarbonising shipping lanes between the
two regions.
“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 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,” added Gupta.
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.”
The pact positions APSEZ and Marseille Fos as anchor nodes in IMEC’s emerging logistics architecture, with the proposed Ports Club expected to institutionalise dialogue, coordinate policy inputs and catalyse investment across the corridor.
