The MoU, signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India, proposes the creation of an IMEC Ports Club to coordinate key ports along the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), strengthening connectivity between India and the EU. The move complements the recently signed India–EU Free Trade Agreement, described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the mother of all deals.”
Launched at the 2023 G20 Summit, IMEC is a 6,000-km multimodal trade corridor linking India and Europe through integrated maritime, rail, digital, and clean-energy networks. APSEZ’s eastern ports at Mundra and Hazira form a multimodal hub connecting South Asia to West Asia, while Marseille Fos anchors the western European gateway, adding around 70 million tonnes of capacity to the corridor.
Under the partnership, the two ports will focus on promoting IMEC as a sustainable and competitive trade route, technical exchanges in smart-port technologies, data interoperability, cybersecurity, low-carbon fuels, and developing the Mundra–Marseille Fos Green Maritime Corridor. The IMEC Ports Club will institutionalise dialogue among corridor ports and coordinate policy and investment frameworks.
The collaboration is expected to facilitate India–EU trade flows and strengthen long-term connectivity along the IMEC route.
“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.”
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.”
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is the largest private port operator in India. APSEZ operates a portfolio of 15 domestic ports/terminals with an international presence at 4 global ports/terminals. Along with its port operations, it has its wide logistics network and offers various port-based marine services to its owned ports/terminals as well as other ports.
The company’s consolidated net profit jumped 24.9% to Rs 3,176.72 crore on 21.9% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 9,704.59 crore in Q3 FY26 over Q3 FY25.
Shares of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone fell 1.14% to Rs 1,548.75 on the BSE.