Naidu, four Union Ministers open Visakhapatnam seafood meet; India eyes ₹1 lakh crore exports

A two-day national workshop on seafood exports opened in Visakhapatnam on Friday (June 5, 2026), part of a push to take India’s annual exports past ₹1 lakh crore, from a record ₹73,890.46 crore ($8.45 billion) in 2025-26.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu; Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal; Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh; Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu; and Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan attended.

Organised by the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the workshop is meant to chart a roadmap for the export sector, built on value addition, traceability and a bigger role for start-ups and MSMEs.

Strategic focus

“The workshop aims to integrate start-ups and MSMEs into the global export supply chain while addressing regulatory and infrastructure challenges. Technical sessions are slated to focus on advancing exports through improved certification and traceability, as well as the role of emerging sectors in driving diversification,” the Ministries said in a joint statement.

Officials from national institutions, including the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the Export Inspection Council (EIC) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), are taking part alongside industry stakeholders for direct engagement and policy alignment.

Andhra Pradesh at the helm

Andhra Pradesh, the country’s largest fish and seafood producer, is at the centre of this growth story, reporting aquaculture production of 55.39 lakh tonnes in 2025-26. The State has emerged as a primary hub for marine exports, backed by extensive infrastructure development under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Current infrastructure projects include six integrated fish landing centres, three fishing harbours at Pudimadaka, Budagatlapalem and Kothapatnam, and an integrated aqua park at Bapatla, a combined investment of more than ₹1,352 crore. These initiatives are part of a broader push to modernise fisheries infrastructure and support the livelihoods of more than 4 lakh beneficiaries in the State.

Strengthening the ecosystem

India’s seafood exports reached a record ₹73,890.46 crore ($8.45 billion) in 2025-26, and volumes touched 19.72 lakh metric tonnes. To keep up this momentum against international tariff and non-tariff barriers, the government is relying on schemes such as the Blue Revolution Scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Sah-Yojana (PMMKSSY) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).

The Export Promotion Mission (EPM) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is working to ensure tax neutrality and lower cost burdens, strengthening India’s position in the global seafood market.

Over the two days, the participants are expected to finalise recommendations to make the country’s seafood export sector more competitive and inclusive.