Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has signed a pact with Port of Marseille Fos to strengthen India–Europe trade connectivity through enhanced cooperation in trade facilitation, port innovation and energy transition.

Following the announcement, shares of APSEZ were trading 1.3% lower at ₹1,545.70, with a market capitalisation of ₹3.56 lakh crore. The stock opened flat at ₹1,566.60 and slipped to a day’s low of ₹1,540 during the first two hours of trading.

The memorandum of understanding (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, APSEZ said in a statement on Tuesday.

Marseille Fos is among Europe’s largest integrated multimodal port ecosystems, and the partnership aims to create a more structured and coordinated route for India–EU trade flows.

Pact to strengthen India-Europe trade connectivity

As per the release, the agreement proposes the creation of an India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Ports Club aimed at improving coordination among key ports along the corridor and reinforcing connectivity between India and the European Union.

“This completes the IMEC pathway for India–EU trade, which has been boosted by the proposed FTA between India and the EU, termed as ‘the mother of all deals’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the release noted.

Under the IMEC framework, APSEZ’s operations at Mundra Port and Hazira Port will serve as key eastern gateways, functioning as multimodal logistics hubs linking South Asia with West Asia. Marseille Fos will strengthen the western European gateway by adding around 70 million tonnes of capacity and expanding the corridor’s reach deeper into Europe.

The collaboration will focus on promoting the IMEC route as a sustainable and secure trade alternative for Eurasian cargo movement through joint campaigns, participation in international trade fairs, roadshows and targeted business engagements. The agreement also includes technical exchange programmes covering port digitalisation, smart-port systems, data interoperability, cybersecurity, alternative fuels, shore power supply and low-carbon bunkering.

To develop Mundra-Marseille Fos green maritime corridor

The partnership will also support the development of a green maritime corridor between Mundra and Marseille Fos and facilitate policy dialogue and investment coordination among participating ports to strengthen IMEC infrastructure development.

Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ, said India has already taken a leadership role in advancing the corridor, and with the conclusion of the India–EU free trade agreement, trade between participating countries is expected to grow manifold.

“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,” he added.

Hervé Martel, CEO of the Port of Marseille Fos, said the pact will strengthen its partnership with APSEZ at a time when the IMEC corridor is entering a decisive phase. He added that India and Marseille stand at the two ends of this future trade backbone, giving both ports a major responsibility in structuring and energising the new route. “Together, we intend to mobilise and unite the ports involved and act as strong advocates of a more efficient, resilient and sustainable connection between our regions,” he said.