New Delhi : Union Ministers Shri Piyush Goyal and Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Thursday held a high-level joint meeting to chart out a roadmap for accelerating the growth of India’s seafood sector and enhancing the country’s global export competitiveness.
The meeting, attended by senior officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Fisheries, MPEDA, DPIIT, EIC and other agencies, focused on aligning export promotion initiatives with the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and related schemes.
Both Ministries reaffirmed their commitment to boosting seafood exports through a coordinated strategy centred on value addition, infrastructure development, product diversification, quality assurance, deep-sea fishing and market expansion.
As part of the initiative, a two-day “Chintan Shivir” will be jointly organised in Visakhapatnam on June 5 and 6, 2026, bringing together stakeholders including exporters, startups, fishers, farmers, state fisheries departments and industry bodies.
The Department of Fisheries will also explore a dedicated Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for MSMEs in the seafood sector aimed at improving international competitiveness, promoting technology adoption, supporting research and development, and strengthening export-oriented infrastructure.
The proposed framework seeks to significantly increase the share of value-added seafood products in India’s exports and expand the number of seafood exporters from around 1,200 at present to nearly 5,000 in the coming years. Officials said the move is expected to improve export earnings and strengthen India’s position in global seafood value chains.
Special focus will be placed on developing the tuna sector in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep through sustainable harvesting, processing, branding and exports of high-value marine products.
The Ministries also announced plans to organise trade and business delegations to major international markets to improve market access and promote Indian seafood globally. Additionally, MPEDA and NFDB will assess export potential and infrastructure gaps across States and Union Territories, including inland regions.
The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary standards, traceability systems, disease-free zones and international food safety compliance across the fisheries sector. The possibility of GI tagging for seafood products and species will also be explored.
Laboratory infrastructure across States and Union Territories will be upgraded to improve testing, certification and export compliance, particularly in Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The Ministers also appreciated MPEDA’s pilot initiative for collection and recycling of marine plastic waste in collaboration with fishers, with plans to expand the programme across coastal States and Union Territories.
The meeting underscored the government’s commitment to transforming India into a leading global seafood export hub through sustainable fisheries development, modern infrastructure and greater participation of MSMEs, startups and fisher cooperatives.