A business day in Marseille
Marseille is France's leading port, its first cruise port and, since February 2025, the seat of an Indian consulate. Most of what passes between the city and India now starts with a message somebody has to answer in time.
The port day starts; an arrival notice queued for 07:30 Marseille time left India at 12:00 IST in winter.
A forwarder near La Joliette asks for a corrected packing list. In Mumbai it is 14:30.
Lunch on the Vieux-Port, 17:30 in India: the export desk sends the document inside the open window.
Customs entry confirmed; India's evening desk closes the thread at 21:30 IST.
For Indian exporters, forwarders, travel firms and NRI services with contacts in Marseille: how long you have to answer a forwarder's WhatsApp message, which port updates suit templates, why cruise guests on +91 numbers cost the India rate, and what each +33 message costs in rupees.
See it work
At 16:00 in Marseille a freight forwarder writes to an Indian exporter about a container from Nhava Sheva. Drag through the next day to see what the exporter may send, and when.
Twenty-four hours is longer than it looks from India. A message that arrives after your desk has closed can still be answered in free text the next morning, as long as the reply leaves before the forwarder's message is a day old. Each reply in the window is a service message, charged per message.
When the window has closed, the exporter writes first with an approved utility template, such as an arrival notice, sent by your system through the developer API. The forwarder's answer opens a new window.
Time since it opened
28h 48m
28h 48m in: window closed. An approved template is needed to write first.
Market brief
INSEE, the port authority, India's consulate in Marseille and the French Treasury describe the city an Indian business writes to.
The commune of Marseille had 886,040 inhabitants in 2023 and 384,854 salaried jobs at the end of 2024, 180,426 of them in commerce, transport and services.[1]
The Port of Marseille Fos calls itself France's leading port and handled 74 million tonnes of goods, 4.1 million passengers and 9,400 calls in 2025.[2]
It is also France's first cruise port and the fourth in the Mediterranean, by its own account.[2]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Consulate General of India in Marseille in February 2025, and the Raisina Dialogue's Mediterranean edition is to be held in the city every year.[4]
France signed the memorandum on the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor at the G20 in New Delhi on 9 September 2023; the French Treasury describes the corridor as linking Marseille to Mumbai.[4],[5]
The consulate's brief estimates about 119,000 people of Indian origin in mainland France and about 10,000 Indian students.[4]
During the same 2025 visit, the Prime Minister paid respects at Mazargues War Cemetery to Indian soldiers who died in the First World War.[4]
The port, the cruise quays and the consulate each bring a different kind of conversation.
Goods for southern France and beyond move through France's leading port, and every consignment has a consignee and a forwarder waiting for papers.[2]
Marseille is France's first cruise port; Indian tour operators whose guests sail from it send boarding and excursion details to phones abroad.[2]
The consulate serves Indian nationals and people of Indian origin across the south of France, part of a mainland diaspora of about 119,000.[3],[4]
ITER held an India Fusion Day in the south of France in October 2025, and Indian suppliers to projects in the region coordinate deliveries and visits from home.[4]
Prices in ₹ and EUR
French numbers are billed at the France line of Meta's rate card: ₹2.64 for an arrival notice, ₹7.56 for an offer, ₹2.64 for a login code and ₹2.64 for each reply inside the window, in rupees before GST. Plans start at ₹999 a month.
Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC
Lite
₹999 / month≈ €9.38 EUR
₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ €7.83 EUR
Everything a growing business needs to run WhatsApp properly.
Growth
₹2,999 / month≈ €28.17 EUR
₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ €23.48 EUR
Lite, plus the API, automation and team scale serious senders need.
Enterprise
Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.
Per message to Marseille · France
| Category | ₹ INR | EUR |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹7.5588 | €0.0710 |
| Utility | ₹2.6393 | €0.0248 |
| Authentication | ₹2.6393 | €0.0248 |
| Service | ₹2.6393 | €0.0248 |
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | €0.0511₹5.4352 | €0.0215₹2.2874 | €0.0215₹2.2874 | €0.0215₹2.2874 |
| Bangladesh | €0.0605₹6.4397 | €0.0031₹0.3254 | €0.0031₹0.3254 | €0.0031₹0.3254 |
| Brazil | €0.0516₹5.4970 | €0.0056₹0.5981 | €0.0056₹0.5981 | €0.0056₹0.5981 |
| Chile | €0.0734₹7.8162 | €0.0165₹1.7585 | €0.0165₹1.7585 | €0.0165₹1.7585 |
| Colombia | €0.0103₹1.0993 | €0.0007₹0.0706 | €0.0007₹0.0706 | €0.0007₹0.0706 |
| Egypt | €0.0532₹5.6629 | €0.0030₹0.3167 | €0.0030₹0.3167 | €0.0030₹0.3167 |
| France | €0.0710₹7.5588 | €0.0248₹2.6393 | €0.0248₹2.6393 | €0.0248₹2.6393 |
| Germany | €0.113₹12.0088 | €0.0455₹4.8386 | €0.0455₹4.8386 | €0.0455₹4.8386 |
| Hong Kong | €0.0605₹6.4397 | €0.0215₹2.2867 | €0.0215₹2.2867 | €0.0215₹2.2867 |
| Hungary | €0.0710₹7.5596 | €0.0288₹3.0700 | €0.0288₹3.0700 | €0.0288₹3.0700 |
| India | €0.0089₹0.9435 | €0.0018₹0.1941 | €0.0013₹0.1402 | €0.0014₹0.1450 |
| Indonesia | €0.0339₹3.6133 | €0.0206₹2.1979 | €0.0206₹2.1979 | €0.0206₹2.1979 |
| Iraq | €0.0282₹2.9992 | €0.0065₹0.6943 | €0.0065₹0.6943 | €0.0065₹0.6943 |
| Israel | €0.0292₹3.1045 | €0.0044₹0.4662 | €0.0044₹0.4662 | €0.0044₹0.4662 |
| Italy | €0.0656₹6.9847 | €0.0248₹2.6369 | €0.0248₹2.6369 | €0.0248₹2.6369 |
| Kazakhstan | €0.0499₹5.3098 | €0.0149₹1.5824 | €0.0149₹1.5824 | €0.0149₹1.5824 |
| Kuwait | €0.0654₹6.9671 | €0.0363₹3.8671 | €0.0363₹3.8671 | €0.0363₹3.8671 |
| Malaysia | €0.0711₹7.5644 | €0.0116₹1.2314 | €0.0116₹1.2314 | €0.0116₹1.2314 |
| Mexico | €0.0328₹3.4877 | €0.0070₹0.7471 | €0.0070₹0.7471 | €0.0070₹0.7471 |
| Morocco | €0.0342₹3.6425 | €0.0190₹2.0218 | €0.0190₹2.0218 | €0.0190₹2.0218 |
| Netherlands | €0.132₹14.0494 | €0.0413₹4.3987 | €0.0413₹4.3987 | €0.0413₹4.3987 |
| Nepal | €0.0605₹6.4397 | €0.0028₹0.2990 | €0.0028₹0.2990 | €0.0028₹0.2990 |
| Nigeria | €0.0427₹4.5421 | €0.0055₹0.5898 | €0.0055₹0.5898 | €0.0055₹0.5898 |
| Oman | €0.0282₹2.9992 | €0.0204₹2.1709 | €0.0204₹2.1709 | €0.0204₹2.1709 |
| Pakistan | €0.0391₹4.1620 | €0.0124₹1.3200 | €0.0124₹1.3200 | €0.0124₹1.3200 |
| Peru | €0.0581₹6.1843 | €0.0248₹2.6392 | €0.0248₹2.6392 | €0.0248₹2.6392 |
| Poland | €0.0302₹3.2105 | €0.0101₹1.0702 | €0.0101₹1.0702 | €0.0101₹1.0702 |
| Qatar | €0.0282₹2.9992 | €0.0099₹1.0547 | €0.0099₹1.0547 | €0.0099₹1.0547 |
| Romania | €0.0710₹7.5596 | €0.0239₹2.5436 | €0.0239₹2.5436 | €0.0239₹2.5436 |
| Russia | €0.0662₹7.0520 | €0.0330₹3.5173 | €0.0330₹3.5173 | €0.0330₹3.5173 |
| Saudi Arabia | €0.0475₹5.0537 | €0.0088₹0.9401 | €0.0088₹0.9401 | €0.0088₹0.9401 |
| Singapore | €0.0605₹6.4397 | €0.0132₹1.4072 | €0.0132₹1.4072 | €0.0132₹1.4072 |
| South Africa | €0.0314₹3.3385 | €0.0079₹0.8369 | €0.0079₹0.8369 | €0.0079₹0.8369 |
| Spain | €0.0584₹6.2161 | €0.0165₹1.7578 | €0.0165₹1.7578 | €0.0165₹1.7578 |
| Sri Lanka | €0.0605₹6.4397 | €0.0017₹0.1759 | €0.0017₹0.1759 | €0.0017₹0.1759 |
| Turkey | €0.0090₹0.9587 | €0.0007₹0.0792 | €0.0007₹0.0792 | €0.0007₹0.0792 |
| Ukraine | €0.0710₹7.5596 | €0.0246₹2.6138 | €0.0246₹2.6138 | €0.0246₹2.6138 |
| United Arab Emirates | €0.0475₹5.0537 | €0.0130₹1.3811 | €0.0130₹1.3811 | €0.0130₹1.3811 |
| United Kingdom | €0.0524₹5.5795 | €0.0182₹1.9346 | €0.0182₹1.9346 | €0.0182₹1.9346 |
| North America | €0.0206₹2.1976 | €0.0028₹0.2989 | €0.0028₹0.2989 | €0.0028₹0.2989 |
| Rest of Africa | €0.0186₹1.9796 | €0.0033₹0.3516 | €0.0033₹0.3516 | €0.0033₹0.3516 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | €0.0696₹7.4057 | €0.0093₹0.9938 | €0.0093₹0.9938 | €0.0093₹0.9938 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | €0.0710₹7.5596 | €0.0175₹1.8595 | €0.0175₹1.8595 | €0.0175₹1.8595 |
| Rest of Latin America | €0.0611₹6.5048 | €0.0093₹0.9934 | €0.0093₹0.9934 | €0.0093₹0.9934 |
| Rest of Middle East | €0.0324₹3.4490 | €0.0075₹0.7998 | €0.0075₹0.7998 | €0.0075₹0.7998 |
| Rest of Western Europe | €0.0489₹5.2054 | €0.0141₹1.5019 | €0.0141₹1.5019 | €0.0141₹1.5019 |
| Other | €0.0499₹5.3098 | €0.0064₹0.6769 | €0.0064₹0.6769 | €0.0064₹0.6769 |
Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Indian cruise guests who keep their +91 numbers in Marseille are charged at the India rate, ₹0.19 for a boarding reminder, because Meta prices by the number's country code, not where the phone is. Euro amounts are indicative; InfiQ invoices in rupees.
Work out your own monthly cost by message type.
Calculate your exact costMeta approves each language version of a template separately; most Marseille programmes need two.
A forwarder may write in French and an Indian cruise guest in Hindi or English; ask for the preferred language at opt-in and store it with the number. Replies inside the window can be in any language your agents write, and InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| French | fr | Consignees, forwarders and French customers |
| English | en | Shipping lines, international contacts and cruise guests |
| Hindi | hi | Indian guests and residents who prefer it |
On InfiQ
The port works its own hours, and the window does not wait for India's.
One WhatsApp number answered by a team: 10 users on Lite and 25 on Growth, agent and manager roles, transfers, private notes, labels and canned replies.
The evening and morning desks in India share one number, so a forwarder's question asked at 16:00 Marseille time is answered before the window closes.
Learn moreDeveloper API and webhooks
Your export or booking system sends arrival and boarding templates when the status changes, and signed webhooks bring the replies back.
Published per-market rates
France's per-message rate and India's sit side by side in rupees, so a cruise season mixing +33 and +91 numbers can be costed in advance.
Nearby
Nearest first, in France and the neighbouring countries.
The consent rules and the France rate apply across the country; the France guide covers them, including how Article L34-5 treats offers to individuals.
Any update about their own consignment, once they have opted in: vessel arrival, discharge, customs release and delivery booking. Each is a utility template at ₹2.64 per delivered message to a French number, written in French, code fr, with an English version for a forwarder who prefers it.
Yes. The forwarder's message opens a 24-hour window, so a free-text reply from your morning desk is fine until 16:00 Marseille time the next day, which is 20:30 IST in winter. Each reply is a service message at ₹2.64; after the window, write first with an approved template.
No. Meta prices each message by the recipient's country code, not where the phone happens to be, so a reminder to a +91 number costs the India utility rate, ₹0.19, in Marseille as at home. Guests who switch to a French SIM become +33 numbers at ₹2.64.
In the language each customer chose when they opted in. Approve the same KYC template in Hindi, code hi, English, code en, and French, code fr, and send the matching version. The rate follows the number: ₹0.19 to a +91 number, ₹2.64 to a +33 one.
French rules let a business prospect professionals about their work if it identifies itself and offers a free, simple way to refuse. Meta adds its own condition: the contact must have agreed to WhatsApp messages from you. Ask at the event with a QR code that opens a chat, then send the offer as a marketing template at ₹7.56.
Each business holds its own. InfiQ serves India-based businesses: it invoices in rupees with GST and keeps customer data in India, so your Mumbai company holds its account and messages the agent at the France rate. If the Marseille agent wants an account of its own, it should talk to sales about whether InfiQ fits.
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. Page updated 2026-10-20.
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, set up a shared inbox for your evening and morning desks, and send your first fr templates once Meta business verification is complete. If your business is based in Marseille, talk to sales about whether InfiQ fits.
Route
Marseille
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