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The Centre will organise a two-day "Chintan Shivir" in Visakhapatnam on June 5-6 to strengthen India's seafood sector and export ecosystem, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Thursday.
The ministry said the event will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and will involve stakeholders from across the seafood value chain. "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 ministry said. The announcement came after a high-level joint meeting between Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh to discuss a roadmap for accelerating growth in India's seafood sector and improving the country's export competitiveness. According to the release, the meeting "stressed the need for aligning the export promotion activities with the objectives of the PMMSY and allied schemes." The ministry said both 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." The government is also exploring a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) framework for the seafood sector, particularly for MSMEs, to improve international competitiveness and boost value-added exports. "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 release said. The proposed framework aims to increase the share of value-added seafood products in India's total seafood exports and raise the number of seafood exporters to 5,000 from around 1,200 at present, the ministry added. The release also said the government will place "special emphasis" on developing the tuna sector in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep through sustainable harvesting, processing, branding and exports of high-value marine products. To strengthen exports, the Department of Fisheries and MPEDA will jointly organise trade and business delegations to major international markets to improve market access and promote Indian seafood globally. The ministries also highlighted the need for addressing Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues in aquaculture and fisheries. SPS measures refer to food safety and animal and plant health standards required for exports in international markets. According to the release, efforts will be made to strengthen "traceability, quality assurance systems, disease-free zones and compliance with international food safety standards from the primary production stage onwards." The government will also upgrade laboratory infrastructure across states and Union Territories to improve testing, certification and export compliance capabilities, with a special focus on Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The statement added that both ministries are committed to "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." (ANI)
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