India’s marine exports hit ₹62,408 crore in FY25

India’s marine exports delivered a robust performance in FY 2024–25, climbing to ₹62,408 crore and reinforcing the country’s position as a leading global supplier of seafood. The strong showing has encouraged policymakers to push for an ambitious export milestone of ₹1 lakh crore in the coming years, signalling a new phase of growth for the fisheries and seafood sector.

Over the past 11 years, India’s marine product exports have more than doubled in value, rising from about ₹30,213 crore in 2013–14 to ₹62,408 crore in 2024–25. This translates into an average annual growth rate of around 7%, underpinned by steady demand in key overseas markets and the sector’s growing capacity to meet international quality and safety standards.

A major contributor to this export momentum has been shrimp, which continues to dominate India’s seafood basket in both volume and value terms. Frozen shrimp alone accounts for the bulk of marine export earnings, with the United States and China among the top destinations for Indian consignments. The sustained performance of shrimp exports has not only supported overall export numbers but has also encouraged investments in aquaculture, processing and cold chain infrastructure.

In a recent review, the Union government urged exporters to work towards the ₹1 lakh crore target, stressing the need for an open-market approach and greater competitiveness. Institutions such as the Export Inspection Council (EIC), the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), NABARD and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries have been flagged as key enablers to provide financial, technical and compliance support.

Policy efforts are also focusing on market diversification to reduce over-reliance on a few traditional destinations. The Department of Fisheries, in coordination with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), EIC and the Department of Commerce, has drawn up a targeted strategy to tap newer geographies and product segments. As part of this, Indian missions abroad are being leveraged to forge direct linkages between exporters and overseas buyers, and to promote Indian seafood in high-potential markets.

MPEDA has been tasked with strengthening capacity-building initiatives to help exporters upgrade processing facilities, meet evolving global regulations and ramp up value addition. Emphasis is being placed on compliance, sustainability, traceability and product diversification, including ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat seafood lines catering to retail and institutional buyers.

Officials point out that new investments in areas such as sea-cage farming, mariculture, deep-sea fishing vessels and modern landing and processing infrastructure will be critical to sustaining export growth. Recent investor outreach in regions like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is aimed at unlocking these opportunities and integrating coastal communities into high-value export supply chains.

With global demand for high-quality protein rising and buyers increasingly looking for reliable, compliant suppliers, India’s seafood sector is seen as well placed to scale up. However, achieving the ₹1 lakh crore export goal will require coordinated efforts across government, industry and financial institutions to boost productivity, upgrade technology and deepen market reach.