Introduction
India is the world’s second-largest fish producer, and the fisheries sector continues to be an important part of India’s food supply, rural economy and export ecosystem. As per the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, fish production in 2024–25 reached 197.75 lakh tonnes, while the sector contributed around 1.1% to the national economy. The sector plays a crucial role in employment generation, supporting nearly 30 million (3 crore) fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and generating about 74.66 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities across the value chain. India also has a strong natural resource base for fisheries, including 11,099 km of coastline, 32 lakh hectares of reservoirs, 12 lakh hectares of brackishwater, and over 68,000 Amrit Sarovars, which together provide significant scope for marine and inland fisheries growth. India mainly has eight major fish-producing states: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, which together contribute a major share of the country’s total output.
India Marine and Inland Fish production (million tons)
Source: Department of Fisheries, GoI, Press Information Bureau
Note: *- Target for 2024-25
The sector continues to play a critical role in employment generation, income diversification, and export earnings, supported by its strong resource base and growing production capacity.
Export Trend
Export trend of marine products from India (values in US$ million)
Source: Marine Product Export Development Authority, Ministry of Commerce
Note: *- Until February 2026
India’s marine product exports have maintained a stable and positive trajectory, supported by consistent global demand. During FY26, total exports stood at US$ 8.43 billion, already surpassing the full-year export value of US$ 7.41 billion recorded in FY25. This indicates a strong export momentum in the current fiscal, with performance exceeding the previous year even before completion of the full cycle.
The export trend reflects sustained demand for Indian marine products across global markets, driven by India’s strong aquaculture base and competitive export positioning. The ability to exceed the previous year’s total exports within eleven months highlights improved export realisations and steady shipment volumes, particularly in high-demand categories such as shrimp. Overall, the sector continues to demonstrate resilience and growth potential, supported by stable international demand and expanding market reach.
India mainly exports frozen shrimps, fish, cuttlefish, squids, dried items, and live and chilled items. Out of these, frozen shrimp is the largest exported marine product contributing to more than 40% of the total quantity and about 66.12% of the total export value.
Major Export Markets
India’s marine product exports continued to witness strong demand across major global markets during FY26 (April 2025–March 2026), with the USA remaining the largest export destination. Marine product exports to the USA were valued at US$ 2.31 billion, accounting for 27.36% of India’s total marine product exports. China was the second-largest market with imports worth US$ 1.55 billion (18.38%), followed by Vietnam at US$ 648.62 million (7.69%). Together, these three countries accounted for more than half of India’s marine product export earnings, highlighting their importance in India’s seafood export basket.
Other key export destinations included Japan, which imported marine products worth US$ 451.11 million (5.35%), Belgium at US$ 376.59 million (4.47%) and Thailand at US$ 362.19 million (4.30%). Additional major markets comprised Canada (US$ 232.21 million), Spain (US$ 230.28 million), Italy (US$ 206.54 million), Russia (US$ 171.45 million) and the UAE (US$ 147.71 million).
Region-wise share of total marine products export value for FY26
Source: DGCIS
Government Initiatives
India’s fisheries sector covering both marine and inland segments has witnessed strong and sustained growth, supported by abundant natural resources and proactive government initiatives. Fish production has more than doubled from about 95-96 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to around 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024- 25, with inland fisheries emerging as the dominant contributor (over 75% of total output) and registering particularly high growth. The sector is expanding at around 8-9% annually, supports nearly 3 crore livelihoods, and has seen significant export growth, reflecting its rising economic importance. Government measures such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), GST rationalisation, digitisation, sustainability initiatives, and focus on value addition have strengthened production, infrastructure, and global competitiveness.
Further, the Union Budget 2026-27 reinforces this growth by promoting rural diversification through fisheries and allied sectors. Key initiatives include integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to boost inland fisheries, strengthening coastal value chains, improving market linkages via startups and producer organisations, and policy support such as duty-free provisions for fish catch in EEZ/high seas. Alongside, investments in livestock, veterinary infrastructure, and value chains aim to enhance rural incomes and employment, positioning fisheries and allied activities as major drivers of agricultural transformation and inclusive growth.
India-UK Free Trade Agreement
India and the UK have signed a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) granting India 100% duty-free access for most seafood products, removing tariffs of up to 21.5% on items such as shrimp, lobster, squid, and value-added marine goods. In FY25, India exported US$ 7.38 billion worth of seafood (1.78 million tonnes), but its share in the UK’s US$ 5.4 billion seafood import market was only 2.25%, with exports of US$ 104 million. The new duty-free access is expected to boost India’s marine exports to the UK by about 70%, strengthening export competitiveness and supporting coastal communities and value-added processing.
Union Budget 2026-27
The Union Budget FY27 proposed the highest-ever budgetary allocation of Rs. 2,761.80 crore (US$ 300.2 million) for the fisheries sector, including Rs. 2,500 crore (US$ 271.7 million) under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Government initiatives have strengthened infrastructure, digital governance, financial inclusion and technology adoption across the fisheries value chain. As of March 2026, PMMSY had supported the development of aquaculture infrastructure, fish transportation systems, cold-chain facilities and retail markets, while modern technologies such as Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Bio-floc farming have gained wider adoption.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
The PMMSY was introduced in 2020 with an earmarked investment of US$ 2.53 billion, to increase the productivity, production capacity, and area under cultivation and to increase the exports of marine products in India. The Central Government's share in PMMSY is US$ 1.12 billion, the State's share is US$ 617 million, and the beneficiaries' share is US$ 729 million. The objective of the scheme is to increase fish production to 22 million MT by 2024-25, enhance aquaculture productivity to 5 tons per hectare and increase the GVA contribution of the fisheries sector to 9% by 2024-25.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)
In 2018-19, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying formed a fund called the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FIDF) to meet the infrastructure requirement of the fisheries sector. The total fund size is US$ 951 million. The objective of the fund is to provide concessional finance to eligible entities like State Governments/Union Territories and State entities for developing the identified fisheries infrastructure through loaning entities namely - National Cooperatives Development Corporation (NCDC), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and all scheduled banks.
Government Body
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), established in 1972 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is the nodal agency responsible for promoting and developing India’s marine products sector with a focus on exports. It supports the entire value chain from aquaculture and processing to quality control and marketing while ensuring compliance with international standards. The authority also focuses on research and development, infrastructure development, and value addition, and advises the central government on setting standards for fishing vessels, storage facilities, processing plants, and related logistics. MPEDA plays a key role in enhancing seafood exports and strengthening India’s position in the global seafood market.
Department of Fisheries (DoF)
The Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Government of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, was established in 2019 following the bifurcation of the fisheries division from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. It is responsible for formulating policies and implementing schemes for the development and sustainable management of inland, marine, and coastal fisheries resources, as well as overseeing various fisheries institutes. The department focuses on enhancing fish production and productivity, improving infrastructure such as fishing harbours and landing centres, promoting responsible and sustainable fishing practices, and supporting the socio-economic welfare of fishermen and fish farmers. It also undertakes data collection, regulation, and surveys to ensure overall sectoral growth and strengthen India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
RELATED SITES
MPEDA House, P.B.No.4272, Panampilly Avenue,
Panampilly Nagar P.O.,
Kochi - 682 036
Kerala
India
Tel.:+91-484-2311901
Fax:+91-484-2313361
Email: Email:ho@mpeda.gov.in
Website: https://mpeda.gov.in
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