According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s seafood exports recorded a strong growth of 17.81 percent in April this year, reaching $0.58 billion. The country is playing a significant role in the international market as the fourth largest producer of seafood products.
In the financial year ending March 31, 2025, the country exported 1.685 million metric tons of seafood products, marking a growth of over 60 percent. In terms of value, exports increased from $5.4 billion in FY15 to $7.2 billion.
This momentum is expected to continue into 2025-26 despite the US tariff hike announcement. Meanwhile, India and the US are on track to complete a bilateral trade agreement aimed at increasing the flow of exports and imports between the two countries. India now exports seafood to 130 countries, up from 105 countries in 2014-15. This reflects the growing reach of the country’s seafood products.
Frozen shrimp is the most exported seafood product, contributing 40 percent of the total volume and 66.12 percent of the total export value, with the US and China being the largest markets. India’s export competitiveness and high value realization are boosted by the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), which supports a basket of interventions along the fisheries value chain. This includes quality fish production, expansion of brackish water aquaculture, diversification and intensification, and promotion of export-oriented species.
Building infrastructure, developing modern fishing harbors and fish landing centers are also part of this scheme.
A senior official said that the use of technology, robust disease management and traceability capabilities, training and capacity building, building modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chains, and the development of modern fishing harbors and fish landing centers are also part of this scheme, which has given a major boost to seafood production and exports in the country.
The central government is now aiming to achieve an export turnover of $18 billion (₹1.57 lakh crore) by 2030. The statement said that this target has been set in the Vision Document-2030 for India’s seafood exports, prepared by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). This authority works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
MPEDA plays a crucial role in monitoring seafood exports from the country. The Department of Fisheries is implementing the flagship PMMSY scheme in all states and union territories for five years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 with an investment of ₹20,050 crore in the fisheries sector, which has led to the surge in exports.
