India’s seafood exports cross ₹72,325.82 crore in FY26 on shrimp led growth, market diversification

India's marine product exports reached an all-time high of ₹72,325.82 crore (approximately USD 8.28 billion) in FY2025-26, according to provisional data from...

What Happened

India's marine product exports reached an all-time high of ₹72,325.82 crore (approximately USD 8.28 billion) in FY2025-26, according to provisional data from MPEDA, with export volumes touching 19.32 lakh metric tonnes.
Frozen shrimp remained the dominant driver, contributing ₹47,973.13 crore (USD 5.51 billion) — over two-thirds of total marine export earnings — with shipment volumes growing 4.6% and value growing 6.35% year-on-year.
Market diversification significantly cushioned the impact of a sharp decline in US-bound shipments (down 19.8% in volume, 14.5% in value) attributed to the imposition of reciprocal tariffs.
The European Union recorded a 37.9% increase in value and 35.2% increase in volume; Southeast Asia grew 36.1% in value and 28.2% in volume; and China (the second-largest destination) grew 22.7% in value and 20.1% in volume.
Other products including frozen fish, squid, cuttlefish, dried items, and live products showed positive momentum; surimi, fishmeal, and fish oil also improved; chilled products declined.
The record performance reinforces India's position as one of the world's top seafood exporters.

Static Topic Bridges

MPEDA — Marine Products Export Development Authority

MPEDA is a statutory body established in 1972 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, headquartered in Kochi. Its mandate is to promote, regulate, and develop the export of all varieties of marine products from India, including shrimp, fish, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish), crabs, lobsters, and aquatic plants. MPEDA registers processing and export facilities, sets quality and hygiene standards, conducts inspection of marine products and raw materials, provides financial assistance for infrastructure, and promotes Indian seafood at international trade fairs through its offices in New Delhi, Tokyo, and New York.

Established: 1972, under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972
Regulated products: all commercially exported marine species
Key functions: quality certification, market promotion, aquaculture development support, hatchery assistance
MPEDA is distinct from APEDA (which covers terrestrial agriculture) and coordinates with the Fisheries Ministry on production-side policy

Connection to this news: The record export data is drawn from MPEDA's provisional figures, making it the primary institutional source and market intelligence authority for the sector's performance.

India's Aquaculture and Shrimp Industry

India is one of the world's top shrimp producers, with aquaculture — particularly the farming of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) — forming the backbone of marine exports. Andhra Pradesh accounts for approximately 70% of India's shrimp production, with key farming districts including East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Nellore. The introduction of vannamei (a non-native species) through aquaculture policy liberalisation in the 2000s transformed India into a global shrimp exporter by enabling faster growth rates, lower disease susceptibility, and higher productivity compared to indigenous tiger prawns. The value chain spans hatcheries, feed manufacturers, grow-out farms, cold-chain logistics, and HACCP-certified processing plants.

India's total shrimp production (FY26): approximately 1 million+ metric tonnes
Vannamei's share in total shrimp production: ~72%
Shrimp export value (FY26): ₹47,973.13 crore ($5.51 billion)
Andhra Pradesh produces ~70% of total national shrimp output
Key export markets: USA, EU, China, Japan, Southeast Asia

Connection to this news: Frozen shrimp, produced almost entirely through intensive vannamei aquaculture, accounted for over two-thirds of total FY26 marine export earnings — making the health of Andhra Pradesh's aquaculture clusters the single most important determinant of overall seafood export performance.

Trade Diversification as an Export Strategy

Export market diversification refers to the deliberate strategy of expanding the number and variety of destination markets for a country's goods, reducing over-reliance on any single market and building resilience against bilateral trade disruptions such as tariffs, sanctions, or regulatory changes. India's seafood sector has historically been concentrated in the US and EU markets. The imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the US in 2026 — reducing US-bound shipments by nearly 20% in volume — demonstrated the vulnerability of market concentration. The countervailing growth in EU, Southeast Asian, and Chinese markets in FY26 effectively neutralised the US decline, validating India's diversification push.

US decline in FY26: -19.8% volume, -14.5% value
EU growth: +37.9% value, +35.2% volume
Southeast Asia growth: +36.1% value, +28.2% volume
China growth: +22.7% value, +20.1% volume
Diversification is supported by MPEDA through bilateral trade agreements, buyer-seller meets, and overseas promotional offices

Connection to this news: The record overall export figure despite a near-20% US volume decline is a direct result of market diversification succeeding — a key policy lesson for trade resilience strategy.

Fisheries Governance and the Blue Economy

India's fisheries sector spans capture (marine and inland) and culture (aquaculture) fisheries, supporting livelihoods for an estimated 28 million fishers and fish farmers. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), launched in 2020, is the flagship scheme to develop fisheries infrastructure — targeting production of 22 million metric tonnes and exports of ₹1 lakh crore by 2024-25. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying administers fisheries policy at the Union level; marine fisheries regulation is shared between the Centre and coastal states under the Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts. India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 million sq km offers vast but largely underexploited deep-sea fishing potential.

PMMSY outlay: ₹20,050 crore over 5 years
India's rank in global fisheries production: 3rd in total fish production, 2nd in aquaculture
EEZ: 2.02 million sq km (largely underutilised in deep-sea segments)
Deep-sea fishing fleet modernisation is a key policy priority under the Blue Economy vision

Connection to this news: The record FY26 exports are the cumulative result of years of policy investment in cold-chain infrastructure, processing capacity, quality certification, and market development — all elements that the PMMSY and MPEDA have systematically supported.

Key Facts & Data

Total seafood exports FY26: ₹72,325.82 crore (~USD 8.28 billion); 19.32 lakh metric tonnes
Frozen shrimp: ₹47,973.13 crore (USD 5.51 billion); >66% of total marine export earnings
Shrimp volume growth: +4.6%; value growth: +6.35% year-on-year
US exports declined: -19.8% volume, -14.5% value (due to reciprocal tariffs)
EU exports grew: +37.9% value, +35.2% volume
Southeast Asia: +36.1% value, +28.2% volume
China: +22.7% value, +20.1% volume
Key products with positive trend: frozen fish, squid, cuttlefish, dried items, surimi, fishmeal, fish oil
Chilled products: declined
MPEDA: primary regulatory and promotional authority; headquartered in Kochi