The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is organizing a “Round Table conference with Ambassador and High commissioners on Seafood export promotions” for strengthening Bilateral trade and International Market Linkage on 21^st January 2026, at New Delhi. The event will be chaired by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in the gracious presence of Shri George Kurian, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Minority Affairs, and Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

India is the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer and one of the leading global producers of fish and aquatic foods. Over the years, the sector has transformed from a predominantly subsistence activity into a commercially robust, export-oriented ecosystem spanning farming, feed, processing, cold chains, logistics, and value addition while continuing to support millions of small, marginal and artisanal fishers and farmers. Supported by targeted schemes and well‑designed policies, India today ranks as the sixth-largest exporter of fish and fishery products. In 2024–25, seafood exports reached 16.98 lakh metric tonnes, valued at ₹62,408 crore (USD 7.45 billion), contributing nearly 18% to India’s total agricultural exports.

The Government of India is convening this Round Table Conference with participation from Ambassadors and High Commissioners from 83 partner countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and Latin America & the Caribbean. Senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Fisheries, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Export Inspection Council (EIC), Department of Commerce, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), and international agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will also participate. The Conference serves as a key diplomatic and technical platform to enable structured dialogue on seafood trade, market access, regulatory cooperation, and emerging opportunities for deepening bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

The deliberations will focus on promoting sustainable, traceable and value-added seafood trade, while identifying avenues for investment, joint ventures, technology transfer and capacity building. Discussions will also focus on strengthening the resilience of seafood value chains to climate and market risks. Key thematic areas include global seafood trade trends and opportunities for market diversification; standards, certification and regulatory cooperation; traceability, digital reporting and compliance systems; sustainability and responsible sourcing; value addition, processing and product innovation; cold chain infrastructure, logistics and port connectivity; financing, partnerships and private sector engagement across the blue value chain; and digital and technological transformation in fisheries and aquaculture.

The deliberations will additionally highlight emerging global market dynamics such as rising demand for high‑quality, certified and sustainably sourced seafood, increasing consumption of aquaculture-based proteins in North America, Europe and East Asia, and expansion of premium product segments including ready‑to‑cook, ready‑to‑eat and nutraceutical-grade marine products. These trends present significant opportunities for India to expand its market share through enhanced compliance with international standards, greater focus on value-added processing, species diversification, and leveraging India’s competitive strengths in aquaculture, processing capacity and a robust exporter base.

The outcomes of the Conference are expected to contribute significantly towards strengthening food security, improving livelihoods across fisheries value chains, and advancing shared goals of sustainability, resilience and inclusive development.

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JP.