The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, successfully organised the Round Table Conference on Seafood Export Promotion under the chairmanship of Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. The session was held in the presence of Shri George Kurian, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Minority Affairs, and Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

The Conference witnessed participation from Diplomats representing 40 countries, including Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other Senior Mission Officials from Albania, Angola, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Iceland, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Senegal, Moldova, Togo, Benin, Qatar, Mexico, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Iraq, Mali, Norway, Republic of Guinea, Russia, Spain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia; spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania and Latin America & the Caribbean. Representatives from International Organisations such as 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) also participated. Senior officials from the Department of Fisheries and various Line Ministries of the Government of India were present as well.

The extensive representation underscored the growing strength of India’s international partnerships in the fisheries and seafood sector. Climate change and ocean health, sustainability, responsible fisheries, technology transfer, green innovation, capacity building, supply‑chain development, and emerging domains such as ornamental fisheries and seaweed cultivation emerged as key pillars for enhanced collaboration.

Shri. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, in his address, highlighted India’s emergence as a major global fisheries and aquaculture player, backed by strong policies, processing capacity and logistics, with seafood export values doubling over the past decade. He emphasized that India is strengthening compliance and transparency, through the National Framework on Traceability (2025), EEZ Rules (2025) and updated High Sea Fishing Guidelines (2025), with focus on sustainable, export‑oriented growth in the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. He underlined wide cooperation opportunities in advanced aquaculture and mariculture technologies, processing, cold chains, vessel design, digital monitoring, joint R&D, technology transfer, climate resilience, sustainable fisheries management, trade expansion and private‑sector partnerships.

Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying & Panchayati Raj underlined that seafood is a vital source of nutrition, contributes significantly to global food security, generates large-scale employment, and strengthens national economies. He underlined that the Department of Fisheries, Government of India is adopting a comprehensive value-chain approach, from production to export to ensure the sector's sustainable development.

Mr. George Kurian, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Minority Affairs highlighted India’s rapid aquaculture growth, noting strong production gains and the Department’s aspiration to raise seafood exports to ₹1 lakh crore. He shared that export values have risen by 21% in the past seven months, reflecting robust sectoral momentum. He also thanked participating countries for their cooperation and partnership in enabling this meaningful dialogue.

Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Union Secretary, Department of Fisheries delivered keynote address and noted that India's seafood export is witnessing rapid growth driven by increasing formalization and digitalization, leading to enhanced production and rising seafood export volumes. He emphasized that today the sector is defined by quality packaging, regulatory alignment, and strong traceability systems. Terming the discussions as highly valuable, he noted that India already has several Joint Working Groups (JWGs) and would also initiate bilateral discussions to take the collaboration forward.

Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), set the context for strengthening India's global seafood presence and highlighted the Department's strong commitment to food safety, traceability, and international certifications to meet global quality expectations. He noted that this Conference aims to facilitate meaningful exchange on sustainability, investment opportunities, and emerging technologies.

The participating countries expressed strong interest in deeper collaboration with India across fisheries and aquaculture. Many highlighted opportunities in technology transfer, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and joint ventures, while several including China, Malaysia, France, Spain, Seychelles, and Singapore emphasized India’s growing role as a reliable seafood trade partner. Multiple nations underscored shared priorities in sustainability, climate resilience, traceability, and value addition. Others sought partnerships in processing, certification, aquaculture diversification, and infrastructure development.

Overall, interventions reflected a clear commitment to work with India on sustainable fisheries management, value‑chain strengthening, deep‑sea resource development, regulatory cooperation, and scientific collaboration.

Mr. Konda Chavva, Assistant FAO Representative (FAOR), emphasized FAO’s commitment to supporting countries in strengthening digital traceability, certification systems, and access to high‑value markets, along with global efforts to prevent IUU fishing. He noted that FAO stands ready to support and fund investment proposals that can propel India’s fisheries development, enhance export competitiveness, and align with India’s broader Blue Economy vision.

Shri Dodda Venkata Swamy, Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) highlighted MPEDA's focus on Trade, Trust and Technology to strengthen India's seafood export ecosystem and shared that India is collaborating with several nations on advanced technologies in aquaculture. He reaffirmed MPEDA's commitment to deepening global collaborations through close participation and sustained partnerships.

Dr. Bijay Kumar Behera,Chief Executive of NFDB, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Union Ministers, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Counsellors, and other dignitaries for their gracious presence and valuable contributions to the event.

The insights gathered during the interactions shall support the development of a more competitive, diversified and sustainable seafood export ecosystem, contributing to enhanced livelihoods, strengthened international market linkages and long-term growth of India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.

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JP.