India’s Seafood Exports Reach Record High in FY 2025–26

Why in the News? : India’s seafood exports reached an all-time high during FY 2025–26, both in terms of volume and value. According to the Marine Products Export Development Authority, India exported 19.72 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of marine products worth ₹73,890 crore (USD 8.46 billion), reflecting the growing global competitiveness of the country’s marine sector.

Significance of the Fisheries Sector in India

The fisheries sector is an important pillar of India’s agricultural and maritime economy.

• India is the 3rd largest fish-producing country in the world.
• India is the 2nd largest aquaculture producer globally.
• The sector contributes around 1.09% to national GDP and more than 6% to agricultural GDP.
• It provides livelihood support to over 2.8 crore people, particularly in coastal and economically vulnerable communities.
• Seafood exports constitute one of India’s most valuable agricultural export segments.
• The sector plays a crucial role in advancing India’s vision of a sustainable Blue Economy.

India’s Seafood Export Performance in FY 2025-26

Despite global economic uncertainties, supply-chain disruptions and fluctuating demand in major markets, India’s seafood sector demonstrated remarkable resilience and emerged as one of the strongest contributors to agricultural and marine exports.

• Total seafood exports reached 19,72,018 MT, the highest ever recorded by India.
• Export earnings touched ₹73,890.46 crore (USD 8.46 billion), marking a new milestone for the sector.
• Growth was driven by rising aquaculture production, diversification of export products, improved quality standards and expansion into international markets.

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Major Exported Seafood Products

India’s seafood export basket continues to be dominated by shrimp, although other marine products also recorded encouraging growth.  Frozen shrimp remained India’s most valuable seafood export.

• Exports stood at 7,92,647 MT.
• Export earnings reached ₹49,037.93 crore (USD 5.62 billion).
• It accounted for 40.19% of export quantity and 66.52% of total export earnings.
• Shrimp exports registered growth of 13.16% in rupee terms and 8.64% in dollar terms.
• Both Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and Black Tiger shrimp recorded growth in volume and value.

While shrimp continues to dominate, other seafood categories also registered strong growth.

• Frozen fish emerged as the second-largest export category, earning USD 643.7 million.
• Dried seafood became the third-largest export segment, earning USD 577.4 million and registering an impressive growth of over 78%.
• Frozen squid exports crossed 1 lakh MT and generated more than USD 513 million.
• Frozen cuttlefish exports recorded strong growth in both quantity and value.
• Chilled and live seafood products also registered positive growth, indicating increasing diversification of India’s marine export basket.

Major Export Destinations

India’s seafood exports are spread across several major international markets.

United States: 

• Remained the largest destination in terms of export value.
• Imported seafood worth USD 2.33 billion.
• Frozen shrimp accounted for over 93% of India’s seafood exports to the US.
• However, exports to the US declined in both volume and value during the year.

China: 

• Emerged as the largest destination by volume.
• Imported approximately 4.9 lakh MT of Indian seafood.
• Import value stood at USD 1.61 billion.

Other Important Markets: 

• The European Union remained the third-largest market.
• Southeast Asia continued to be an important destination due to its seafood processing and re-export industries.
• Japan remained a key premium seafood market.
• The Middle East maintained steady demand for Indian marine products.

Factors Behind the Record Performance

India’s record seafood exports in FY 2025-26 were driven by a combination of strong production growth, expanding global demand, policy support and improvements in the fisheries value chain.

• Rising Aquaculture Production: Expansion of shrimp farming, particularly Litopenaeus vannamei (Vannamei shrimp), significantly boosted export volumes and earnings. Improved farming practices and higher productivity enhanced India’s competitiveness in global markets.
• Strong Demand in International Markets: Sustained demand from major markets such as the United States, China, the European Union and Southeast Asia supported export growth despite global economic uncertainties.
• Growth in High-Value Marine Products: Increased exports of frozen shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and value-added seafood products contributed to higher export earnings and improved value realisation.
• Improved Infrastructure and Logistics: Investments in fishing harbours, cold-chain facilities, processing units and export-oriented infrastructure helped reduce post-harvest losses and improve product quality.
• Diversification of Export Basket: Growth in dried seafood, frozen fish, squid, cuttlefish and live products reduced excessive dependence on a single product category and expanded India’s presence in different market segments.
• Enhanced Quality and Traceability Standards: Better compliance with international food safety norms, certification requirements and traceability mechanisms improved acceptance of Indian seafood in premium export markets.
• Government Support to the Fisheries Sector: Government initiatives have played a crucial role in enhancing production, improving infrastructure, ensuring quality standards and boosting the global competitiveness of India’s seafood sector
  • Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Launched in 2020 with an investment of ₹20,050 crore, PMMSY aims to modernise the fisheries sector through aquaculture expansion, broodstock development, disease management, value addition, export promotion and livelihood support for fishers.
  • Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): Provides concessional finance for the creation of fishing harbours, fish landing centres, cold-chain facilities, processing units and aquaculture infrastructure, thereby strengthening the entire value chain.
  • Role of MPEDA: The Marine Products Export Development Authority promotes seafood exports through quality certification, market intelligence, export facilitation, branding, capacity building and adoption of international standards.
  • Strengthening Cold-Chain and Processing Facilities: Investments in modern processing plants, refrigerated transportation and storage infrastructure have reduced post-harvest losses and improved export-quality production.
  • Digitalisation and Traceability: Adoption of digital monitoring systems, traceability mechanisms and quality-control frameworks has enhanced compliance with stringent import requirements of major markets such as the US, EU and Japan.
  • Blue Economy Initiatives: Fisheries has been identified as a key pillar of India’s Blue Economy strategy, linking marine resource utilisation with economic growth, employment generation and export expansion.

These measures have strengthened India’s fisheries ecosystem from production to exports, enabling the country to achieve record seafood export performance despite challenging global market conditions.

Significance for India

The record performance of India’s seafood exports in FY 2025–26 carries wide-ranging economic, social and strategic importance for the country’s development trajectory.

• Boost to Blue Economy: The growth of seafood exports strengthens India’s Blue Economy, which seeks sustainable utilisation of marine resources for economic development.
• Employment Generation: The sector supports millions of livelihoods across fishing, aquaculture, processing, transportation and export industries, particularly in coastal regions.
• Foreign Exchange Earnings: Higher seafood exports contribute significantly to India’s export basket and help improve foreign exchange reserves.
• Rural and Coastal Development: The marine sector promotes income generation in coastal communities and supports inclusive economic growth.
• Global Competitiveness: Record exports demonstrate India’s emergence as one of the world’s leading seafood-producing and exporting nations.