Government Advocates for Enhanced Processing and Expansion of Markets to Bolster India's USD 7.38 Billion Seafood Export Industry by 2025
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India's seafood export sector is focusing on expansion strategies centered on value addition, enhancing cold chain infrastructure, and identifying new global markets. The goal is to significantly increase the share of value-added products, strengthen infrastructure, and diversify exports to mitigate risks and remain competitive on the global stage.
On Monday, the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying organised the Seafood Exporters Meet 2025 at Ambedkar Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting was led by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, along with Ministers of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel and George Kurian.
Key government bodies, industry representatives, and progressive farmers participated in the meeting, which aimed to discuss challenges and propose solutions for the growth of India's seafood export sector.
Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel called for greater collaboration among stakeholders and state governments to strengthen and expand the seafood value chain. He emphasized the importance of value addition in Indian seafood products to enhance export revenues.
Industry participants have identified tariff barriers in the United States, certification hurdles for EU markets, and infrastructure gaps for niche products like rainbow trout as challenges. To address these issues, suggestions for improvement include extending scheme benefits to larger exporters, incentivizing value addition, strengthening government-backed certification support, enhancing infrastructure, improving access to finance, and exploring emerging markets like South Korea, Middle East, Russia, and China.
Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary (Fisheries), expressed concern over India's heavy dependence on Whiteleg shrimp and the need to increase the share of value-added products from the current 10% to between 30% and 60%. There is a strong push to reduce dependence on a single species like Whiteleg shrimp and to identify state-specific species that have export potential, thereby broadening the export basket and tapping into new markets with differentiated products.
Upgrading cold chain systems is essential to reduce post-harvest losses and maintain product quality during storage and transportation. Stakeholders have highlighted gaps in cold chain facilities, especially for niche and value-added products, which government schemes are targeting for improvement.
Emphasized as critical for boosting export potential, value addition involves processing, packaging, and creating higher-value seafood products rather than exporting mainly raw or minimally processed items. Efforts are underway to strengthen processing and packaging infrastructure, supported by funds like the Fishery Infrastructure Development Fund.
To mitigate risks from tariff and non-tariff barriers, the government is encouraging exporters to explore alternative international markets such as the EU, Japan, South Korea, UK, Russia, Australia, West Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is playing a pivotal role in helping exporters identify species-specific markets and upgrading export infrastructure.
Development of a single-window system for better market linkage, draft guidelines on high seas and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) fishing to expand fishery resources (e.g., tuna), and coordinated efforts to address tariff and non-tariff barriers are underway to provide a supportive ecosystem for exporters.
In summary, India’s expansion strategy for seafood exports hinges on significantly increasing value-added products, strengthening cold chain and processing infrastructure through government funds and MPEDA interventions, and proactively diversifying into new international markets while encouraging species diversification to sustain growth and competitiveness globally.
India’s seafood export sector produced 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, exporting 17.81 lakh tonnes worth $7.38 billion, with frozen shrimp remaining a major export item valued at $4.88 billion. The focus on value addition, infrastructure development, and market diversification aims to increase the export value and reduce vulnerability to global market shocks.
[1] India's Seafood Exports: A Comprehensive Analysis
[2] India's Seafood Exports: Opportunities and Challenges
[3] India's Seafood Exports: The Road Ahead
[4] India's Seafood Exports: The Way Forward
[5] India's Seafood Exports: Strategies for Growth
- "Despite the focus on seafood exports, it's essential to consider the weather conditions during seafood transportation, as adverse weather can negatively impact product quality and delay exports."
- "Recreational sports activities could be organized during breaks at the Seafood Exporters Meet 2025, providing participants opportunities for relaxation and team building, enhancing overall productivity and cooperation."
