India And Provence: A Growing Strategic Partnership

The new Indian Consulate General in Marseille will further boost economic and academic relations between Provence and India

With the much-anticipated arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Marseille next week at the side of French President Emmanuel Macron, Provence Promotion is capitalizing on this high-profile event to enhance its prospecting and influence missions in India. Propelled by a longstanding and highly fruitful relationship with the Indian Ambassador to France, Provence Promotion is committed to strengthening bilateral relations between France and India and is now seeing the culmination of one of its major projects: the opening of the Indian Consulate General in Marseille, which will be inaugurated on February 12. In 2025, the agency will continue to focus on Indian investment opportunities in France, particularly with a view to the creation of the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) that will foster closer economic and academic ties.

Due to its strategic location and vibrant business and cultural ecosystem, Marseille has been chosen to host the first Indian Consulate General outside Paris, which will be inaugurated on February 12, 2025. This decision comes after several years of productive exchanges with the Indian Embassy in France in the context of a cross-investment support program carried out in collaboration with Provence Promotion (the economic attraction agency for the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis), the Port of Marseille Fos, the Marseille Provence Airport, Aix-Marseille University, and Kedge Business School, with the support of the Business Club France India.

Diplomatic relations strengthened by interactions with investors and academic institutions

For 2025, the Port of Marseille Fos and Provence Promotion have jointly defined their prospecting priorities and initiatives to build on the successful trade campaigns organized in previous years, notably missions to Mumbai and Bangalore in 2022 and to New Delhi in 2024 for the first CII India-Mediterranean Business Conclave.

This dynamic of cooperation is also flourishing at Aix-Marseille University thanks in part to a visit to the law faculty by Indian Ambassador Jawed Ashraf last summer. This could open the door to broader academic relations with Indian educational institutions, such as the National Law School of India University in Bangalore.

When it comes to bilateral educational exchanges, Kedge Business School in Marseille is also dedicated to these mutually beneficial relationships. The business school is working to further develop its connections with schools in India: in 2022, it signed a strategic partnership with the Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSoM) at Vijaybhoomi University near Mumbai, and similar agreements are in the pipeline. Provence Promotion and the new Indian Consul in Marseille, Mr. Rupjyoti Brahma Karjee, were welcomed to Kedge in January to discuss these types of partnership opportunities in greater depth.

→ Read more about the partnership between Kedge and JAGSoM

Provence, a unique opportunity for Indian investors

In order to facilitate the increased cooperation that is on the horizon, Marseille Provence Airport has also initiated discussions to develop air routes to India to improve mobility for students, tourists, and entrepreneurs.

As it stands, several Indian companies are in contact with Provence Promotion and are showing an interest in investing in the Aix-Marseille area. The presence of an Indian consulate in Marseille will be a huge asset in facilitating investments in sectors such as international trade, digital technology, industrial innovation, and energy.

“By building a cooperative spirit and strengthening educational, cultural, scientific, and economic ties, I am confident that relations between Provence and India will continue to blossom in the years to come,” says Philippe Stéfanini, the CEO of Provence Promotion, who sees the creation of India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor as a tremendous opportunity for business development and shared prosperity for all parties.

There are already numerous Indian companies that have working relationships with Provence Promotion and are contributing to the local economy and the expansion of cooperation between the two territories, including:

• Larsen & Toubro, which is a major contributor to ITER, the international fusion energy project based in France. Larsen & Toubro delivered one of the major components for the project, the cryostat, and is playing a significant role in technical assembly for the facility with a new contract that was signed in October 20244. → Read more about Larsen & Toubro and ITER
• Infosys, the Indian IT giant, which set up a Center for Innovation and Digital Excellence in Marseille in 2018 that is dedicated to smart ports. Infosys also opened offices in the Tour Mirabeau with around a hundred employees.
• Electrosteel, a specialist in ductile iron pipes and fittings based in Arles, which is investing in the expansion of its logistics site and inthe transportation of products by river. → Read more about Electrosteel's river transport project (in French)

Another key factor in the fast-growing economic relationship between India and Provence is Marseille’s status as the world’s #6 hub for digital connectivity and its strategic position as a gateway to Europe and Africa. For example, Reliance Jio Infocomm (the #3 mobile operator in India) has invested in the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) international submarine cable, which will pass through Marseille to ensure a fast, secure connection between India and Europe.