From Mumbai to Marseille: IMEC is bound to redefine India-Europe ties

The inaugural session of the Raisina Mediterranean Dialogue in Marseille on 12th-13th June identified connectivity-and-infrastructure-related challenges as a new frontier for geoeconomics growth and competition. This event not only consolidated the growing influence of the Dialogue but also highlighted the depth of the Indo-French strategic partnership. This robust relationship is the essential driving force behind ambitious projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).Launched on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, IMEC is a 6,400-kilometre multimodal corridor from Mumbai to Marseille that will play a key role in accelerating the integration between these three regions, particularly in the maritime, energy and digital sectors. The corridor has been a priority of the bilateral agenda since President Emmanuel Macron’s State visit in January 2024 as chief guest for India’s 75th Republic Day. In February 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to France, the joint declaration of the two Leaders underlined the importance of IMEC as a project “fostering connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories, and access to clean energy in all these regions.” With France and India at both ends of the corridor, IMEC is a further illustration of the momentum in Indo-French strategic ties. At the crossroads of three continents, Marseille is a major gateway to Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa. Not only is Marseille the European capital city of connectivity, but it is also the world's sixth largest digital hub, along with a Euro-Mediterranean hydrogen hub under development. A flagship project of the Global Gateway connectivity strategy, IMEC is designed to create new avenues for trade, low-carbon energy, and data exchanges between Europe and India.IMEC exemplifies France's strong commitment to enhancing connectivity with India. On the sidelines of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, President Macron chaired the “Summit for a More Connected Mediterranean” on 9th June. On this occasion, heads of state and government, as well as several business leaders from North Africa, Europe and the Gulf, reasserted their shared interest in fostering geoeconomics initiatives such as IMEC for the benefit of all. France reaffirmed the vision of IMEC as a network of connectivity rather than a single infrastructure line connecting two points, from the ports of Marseille to Mumbai. This ensures the resilience of the project, which has been developed to diversify global supply chains. There are already multiple interconnection points in each region or country, such as the ports of Mundra, Mumbai or Vadhavan in India. The connectivity goal is supported by both the public and private sectors, as highlighted by the declaration of the CEO of CMA-CGM Group, Mr Rodolphe Saadé, who received Prime Minister Modi at the Group’s headquarters in Marseille. The organization of the first Raisina Mediterranean Dialogue, with the participation of Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs of India, is also the result of a partnership between the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and CMA-CGM. The Dialogue provided a unique platform to reinforce discussions between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific region.From a broader perspective, despite the geopolitical context in West Asia, most of IMEC’s signatories have recently renewed their commitment to move forward with this corridor. France hosted the first virtual meeting of IMEC Sherpas in May 2025, during which the consolidation of the governance structure and the development of feasibility studies were collectively identified as shared priorities. The involvement of various private sector players is essential to the project's success. India’s political leadership will be instrumental in taking IMEC to the next level. After his visit to France, Prime Minister Modi agreed in Washington with President Trump to bring together all the stakeholders within the next six months. Such a perspective will be instrumental in implementing a collective governance framework and steering the pre-project phase. In the same vein, during the visit of the College of Commissioners to India, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also declared the European Union’s willingness to take concrete steps to advance the project. France will continue advocating for a new endeavour to shape IMEC and make it a reality across the three segments of the project. The India-France Year of Innovation in 2026 will also offer an invaluable opportunity to deepen cooperation in sectors that are key for IMEC, from AI to clean energy.The author is French President's Special Envoy for IMEC