India Sees $30 Billion Target in Seafood Exports Over Next Five Years

India Aims to Boost Seafood Exports to $30 Billion

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has called for increasing India's seafood exports to $30 billion over the next five years, a significant jump from the current $8.5 billion. This ambitious target is part of the government's efforts to enhance the country's presence in the global seafood market.

Goyal emphasized the need for focusing on quality and manufacturing of value-added products to fetch good prices in international markets. He suggested that the target can be achieved by increasing production and improving quality. India has finalized nine free trade agreements with developed nations in the last three and a half years, which will provide greater market access for the sector.

India's fisheries exports have shown significant growth, with a 70% increase from $5 billion in 2013-14 to $8.5 billion last fiscal. In comparison, global trade in the fisheries sector grew from $150 billion to $164 billion during the same period. The minister also noted that India's fish exports can be increased by reducing the import of raw shrimp and exporting value-added goods, which will help build brands.

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Goyal also addressed the issue of high shipping freight impacting traders, stating that it is a demand and supply situation. He added that regulating these prices will cause more pain and become costlier due to global trade factors. The minister also highlighted the impact of the West Asia crisis, saying that despite high diesel prices, India has maintained very low hikes in rates.

Energy Management and Fertilizer Prices

The minister also spoke about the government's efforts to manage energy needs and keep fertilizer prices low for farmers. He said that the central government is spending over Rs 2 lakh crore as a subsidy to bridge the gap between the international price and the price to farmers. Fertilizer prices today are 10 times the price at which they are made available to farmers, with the government providing a subsidy of Rs 300 per tonne against the international price of Rs 3,000.

Infrastructure Development and Export Growth

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Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh called for the creation of infrastructure to promote exports from inland states, whose share is less. He also hinted that the National Fisheries Board will soon set up a regional office in Andhra Pradesh, the largest producer of fish and seafood exporter in India. India's marine product exports reached a record Rs 73,890.46 crore ($8.45 billion) in 2025-26, with export volumes of 19.72 lakh metric tonnes.

Export Targets and Growth

India's seafood exports have shown significant growth, with a 70% increase from $5 billion in 2013-14 to $8.5 billion last fiscal. The sector has set a target of achieving Rs 1 lakh crore in exports. The US and China continued to be the principal destinations for Indian seafood exports, while frozen shrimp retained its position as the flagship product.

Airports and Cargo Infrastructure

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said the government is looking to double the number of airports to over 350. He added that there are plans to add more cargo airports in the country. The ministry is also looking at developing one airport, one product, in line with the One District One Product scheme. Additionally, the minister suggested reducing processing time for export consignments at cargo terminals.