Key Players Meet in Vizag to Push Shrimp and Tuna Export

Ø Centre to Organise Two-Day ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Visakhapatnam to Strengthen India’s Seafood Sector and Export Ecosystem

Ø Government Exploring PLI Framework for Seafood Sector to Increase Value-Added Exports and Support MSMEs

Ø Government to Focus on Developing Tuna Sector in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Through Sustainable Harvesting and Export Promotion

Ø Department of Fisheries and MPEDA to Lead Global Trade Delegations, Strengthen SPS Compliance and Expand Seafood Export Ecosystem Across States and UTs

Key Highlights

· A high-level meeting was held between Piyush Goyal and Rajiv Ranjan Singh to accelerate growth of India’s seafood sector and strengthen export competitiveness.

· Senior officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Fisheries, DPIIT, MPEDA, EIC and other agencies participated in the discussions.

· The meeting emphasized aligning seafood export promotion with the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and allied schemes.

· The government reaffirmed commitment to:

o Value addition in seafood exports

o Infrastructure development

o Product diversification

o Quality assurance

o Market expansion

o Deep-sea fishing

o Greater stakeholder participation

· A two-day “Chintan Shivir” will be organised on 5–6 June 2026 in Visakhapatnam to strengthen the seafood export ecosystem.

· The event will involve:

o Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)

o National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)

o Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA)

o State fisheries departments

o Exporters, startups, fishers and farmers

· The Department of Fisheries will explore a dedicated Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for MSMEs in the seafood sector.

· The proposed PLI framework aims to:

o Increase value-added seafood exports

o Improve international competitiveness

o Encourage technology adoption

o Promote research and development

o Strengthen export-oriented infrastructure

· The government aims to increase the number of seafood exporters from around 1,200 to 5,000 in the coming years.

· Special focus will be given to developing the tuna sector in:

o Andaman and Nicobar Islands

o Lakshadweep

· Measures will promote:

o Sustainable tuna harvesting

o Processing and branding

o Export of high-value marine products

· MPEDA and the Department of Fisheries will jointly organise international trade delegations to expand market access and strengthen trade partnerships.

· MPEDA and NFDB will assess export potential and infrastructure gaps across States and Union Territories, including inland regions.

· The meeting stressed an integrated strategy to address Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues in aquaculture and capture fisheries.

· Planned measures include:

o Strengthening traceability systems

o Improving quality assurance

o Developing disease-free zones

o Enhancing compliance with global food safety standards

· The government will also explore GI tagging for seafood species and products.

· Laboratory infrastructure across States and UTs will be upgraded to improve testing, certification and export compliance, especially in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

· The Ministers appreciated MPEDA’s pilot initiative for marine plastic waste collection and recycling in collaboration with fishers.

· The marine plastic recycling programme is planned to be expanded across all coastal States and Union Territories.

· The initiatives aim to transform India into a major global seafood export hub while promoting:

o Sustainable fisheries

o Employment generation

o Higher fishers’ incomes

o MSME participation

o Inclusive coastal and island development

o Growth of India’s blue economy.

[ABS News Service/15.05.2026]

A high-level joint meeting between Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, and Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, was held on 14 May, 2026 to deliberate on a roadmap for accelerating the growth of India’s seafood sector and strengthening the country’s global export competitiveness. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Fisheries, MPFI, DPIIT, MPEDA and EIC. The meeting stressed the need for aligning the export promotion activities with the objectives of the PMMSY and allied schemes.

The two Ministries reaffirmed their commitment towards enhancing growth of seafood exports through a coordinated strategy focused on value addition, infrastructure development, product diversification, quality assurance, market expansion, deep-sea fishing and greater stakeholder participation.

As part of this initiative, a two-day “Chintan Shivir” will be jointly organized by the ministries on 5–6 June 2026 at Visakhapatnam involving the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), State fisheries departments, seafood exporters, startups, fishers, farmers and other industry stakeholders.

The Department of Fisheries will explore developing a dedicated Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for MSMEs in the seafood sector to improve international competitiveness, strengthening export-oriented infrastructure, encourage technology adoption, support research and development and promote value addition.

The proposed framework aims to substantially increase the share of value-added seafood products in India’s total seafood exports and expand the number of seafood exporters from around 1,200 presently to 5,000 in the coming years. The initiative is expected to improve export realization and strengthen India’s position in global seafood value chains.

Special emphasis will be placed on developing the tuna sector, particularly in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Focused interventions will be undertaken to promote sustainable harvesting, processing, branding and export of tuna and other high-value marine products.

The Department of Fisheries and MPEDA will also jointly organise trade and business delegations to major international markets to expand market access, strengthen trade partnerships and promote Indian seafood globally. MPEDA and NFDB will undertake a comprehensive assessment of export potential and infrastructure gaps across States and Union Territories, including inland regions, to facilitate wider participation in the seafood export ecosystem.

The meeting highlighted the need for an integrated approach towards addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues in aquaculture and capture fisheries. Efforts will be undertaken to strengthen traceability, quality assurance systems, disease-free zones and compliance with international food safety standards from the primary production stage onwards. Possibilities for GI tagging of seafood species and products will also be explored.

Laboratory infrastructure across States and Union Territories will be upgraded to strengthen testing, certification and export compliance capabilities, with special focus on Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Ministers also appreciated the pilot initiative by MPEDA for collection and recycling of marine plastic waste in collaboration with fishers. It is envisaged to scale up the programme across all coastal States and Union Territories to strengthen marine conservation and support sustainable fisheries.

The meeting underscored the commitment of both Ministries towards transforming India into a leading global seafood export hub through sustainable fisheries development, modern infrastructure, improved quality systems and enhanced participation of MSMEs, startups and fisher cooperatives. The initiatives are expected to contribute significantly to employment generation, higher fishers’ incomes, inclusive development of coastal and island regions and the overall growth of India’s blue economy.