Date: 2026-05-14Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Commerce & Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal and Fisheries Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Hold High-Level Meeting to Accelerate Seafood Sector Growth
**Executive Summary**
On May 14, 2026, the Union Ministers of Commerce & Industry and Fisheries held a high-level meeting to establish a roadmap for accelerating India's seafood exports and global competitiveness. A key action item is the organization of a "Chintan Shivir" in Visakhapatnam on June 5–6, 2026, to strengthen the seafood ecosystem. The meeting emphasized the exploration of a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for MSMEs and a goal to increase the number of exporters from 1,200 to 5,000.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Initiatives and Events**
* **Chintan Shivir:** A two-day collaborative workshop will be held on June 5–6, 2026, involving various ministries (MoFPI, MPEDA, NFDB, CAA), state departments, and industry stakeholders to align seafood growth strategies.
* **Policy Alignment:** Export promotion activities are being aligned with the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and allied schemes.
**Economic and Export Frameworks**
* **PLI Scheme:** The Department of Fisheries is exploring a dedicated Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for MSMEs to encourage technology adoption, R&D, and value addition.
* **Exporter Expansion:** The government aims to increase the number of seafood exporters from the current 1,200 to 5,000.
* **Global Outreach:** The Department of Fisheries and MPEDA will organize trade delegations to international markets to expand access and promote Indian seafood globally.
**Regional and Sectoral Focus**
* **Tuna Development:** Specific interventions are planned for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep to promote sustainable tuna harvesting, processing, and branding.
* **Infrastructure Assessment:** MPEDA and NFDB will conduct assessments of export potential and infrastructure gaps across all States and Union Territories, including inland regions.
**Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability**
* **SPS Compliance:** Integrated efforts will be made to address Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues, strengthen traceability, and ensure compliance with international food safety standards.
* **Laboratory Upgrades:** Testing and certification infrastructure will be upgraded across the country, with a focus on island territories.
* **Sustainability:** A pilot initiative for marine plastic waste recycling will be scaled up across all coastal States and Union Territories to support marine conservation.
* **GI Tagging:** The government is exploring the possibility of Geographical Indication (GI) tagging for specific seafood species and products.
**Impact Analysis**
**MSMEs and Startups**
* **Impact:** Enhanced competitiveness through potential PLI incentives, support for R&D, and increased participation in global value chains.
* **Action Required:** Monitor the development of the PLI framework and participate in upcoming industry forums like the Chintan Shivir.
**Fishers and Fisher Cooperatives**
* **Impact:** Expected income growth through better market realization, employment generation, and participation in sustainable harvesting initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate with MPEDA on marine plastic waste recycling and adopt sustainable harvesting practices for high-value marine products.
**Seafood Exporters**
* **Impact:** Access to new international markets via trade delegations and improved quality assurance systems to meet global standards.
* **Action Required:** Focus on product diversification, value addition, and compliance with international food safety and traceability standards.
**State Fisheries Departments and UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** Inclusion in a coordinated national strategy, regional infrastructure upgrades, and comprehensive assessments of local export potential.
* **Action Required:** Coordinate with central ministries for infrastructure gap assessments and laboratory upgrades within their jurisdictions.
Key Entities Referenced
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: A proposed dedicated framework for MSMEs in the seafood sector to enhance international competitiveness and increase value-added exports.
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA): The primary agency responsible for leading global trade delegations, assessing export potential, and implementing marine waste recycling initiatives.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): The flagship fisheries development scheme with which current seafood export promotion and growth activities are being aligned.
Department of Fisheries: The nodal department leading the development of the PLI framework and coordinating the roadmap for accelerating India’s seafood sector growth.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep: Central locations designated for focused intervention in the sustainable harvesting, processing, and export promotion of the tuna sector.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Commerce & Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal
and Fisheries Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh
Hold High-Level Meeting to Accelerate Seafood
Sector Growth
Centre to Organise Two-Day ‘Chintan Shivir’ in
Visakhapatnam to Strengthen India’s Seafood Sector and
Export Ecosystem
Government Exploring PLI Framework for Seafood Sector to
Increase Value-Added Exports and Support MSMEs
Government to Focus on Developing Tuna Sector in
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Through
Sustainable Harvesting and Export Promotion
Department of Fisheries and MPEDA to Lead Global Trade
Delegations, Strengthen SPS Compliance and Expand
Seafood Export Ecosystem Across States and UTs
Posted On: 14 MAY 2026 6:26PM by PIB Delhi
A high-level joint meeting between Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, and
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, was held today to
deliberate on a roadmap for accelerating the growth of India’s seafood sector and strengthening the
country’s global export competitiveness. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the
Department of Commerce, Department of Fisheries, MPFI, DPIIT, MPEDA and EIC. The meeting
stressed the need for aligning the export promotion activities with the objectives of the PMMSY and allied
schemes.
The two Ministries reaffirmed their commitment towards enhancing growth of seafood exports through a
coordinated strategy focused on value addition, infrastructure development, product diversification,
quality assurance, market expansion, deep-sea fishing and greater stakeholder participation.
As part of this initiative, a two-day “Chintan Shivir” will be jointly organized by the ministries on 5–6
June 2026 at Visakhapatnam involving the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Marine
Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB),
Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), State fisheries departments, seafood exporters, startups, fishers,
farmers and other industry stakeholders.The Department of Fisheries will explore developing a dedicated Production Linked Incentive (PLI)
Scheme for MSMEs in the seafood sector to improve international competitiveness, strengthening export-
oriented infrastructure, encourage technology adoption, support research and development and promote
value addition.
The proposed framework aims to substantially increase the share of value-added seafood products in
India’s total seafood exports and expand the number of seafood exporters from around 1,200 presently to
5,000 in the coming years. The initiative is expected to improve export realization and strengthen India’s
position in global seafood value chains.
Special emphasis will be placed on developing the tuna sector, particularly in the Andaman & Nicobar
Islands and Lakshadweep. Focused interventions will be undertaken to promote sustainable harvesting,
processing, branding and export of tuna and other high-value marine products.
The Department of Fisheries and MPEDA will also jointly organise trade and business delegations to
major international markets to expand market access, strengthen trade partnerships and promote Indian
seafood globally. MPEDA and NFDB will undertake a comprehensive assessment of export potential and
infrastructure gaps across States and Union Territories, including inland regions, to facilitate wider
participation in the seafood export ecosystem.
The meeting highlighted the need for an integrated approach towards addressing Sanitary and
Phytosanitary (SPS) issues in aquaculture and capture fisheries. Efforts will be undertaken to strengthen
traceability, quality assurance systems, disease-free zones and compliance with international food safety
standards from the primary production stage onwards. Possibilities for GI tagging of seafood species and
products will also be explored.
Laboratory infrastructure across States and Union Territories will be upgraded to strengthen testing,
certification and export compliance capabilities, with special focus on Lakshadweep and the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.
The Ministers also appreciated the pilot initiative by MPEDA for collection and recycling of marine
plastic waste in collaboration with fishers. It is envisaged to scale up the programme across all coastal
States and Union Territories to strengthen marine conservation and support sustainable fisheries.
The meeting underscored the commitment of both Ministries towards transforming India into a leading
global seafood export hub through sustainable fisheries development, modern infrastructure, improved
quality systems and enhanced participation of MSMEs, startups and fisher cooperatives. The initiatives are
expected to contribute significantly to employment generation, higher fishers’ incomes, inclusive
development of coastal and island regions and the overall growth of India’s blue economy.
***
Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas
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