The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, will organise the second edition of the National Seafood Skill Olympiad from July 1 to 3, 2026, as part of Seafood Expo Bharat (SEB) 2026. The Olympiad will bring together skilled seafood processing professionals from across the country to showcase their expertise in preparing value-added seafood products.

The competition aims to promote innovation, enhance quality standards, recognise industry talent, and strengthen workforce development in India's seafood processing sector, while encouraging greater value addition in marine exports.

As a precursor to the second edition of the Skill Olympiad, MPEDA conducted an extensive nationwide capacity-building programme comprising 50 Seafood Value Addition Training Programmes. More than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals were trained in the preparation of value-added marine products that are in high demand in international markets.

The training covered products such as breaded squid rings, Nobashi (stretched shrimp), breaded butterfly shrimp, cooked Peeled, Deveined, Tail-On (PDTO) shrimp, marinated shrimp skewers and fish fillets. Preliminary-level skill competitions were conducted following each training programme, and the best performers were shortlisted.

The competition subsequently progressed through State-Level Skill Olympiads conducted across the coastal states, followed by Regional Skill Olympiads held in Mumbai for the West Coast and Vijayawada for the East Coast. The top 10 performers from these regional competitions have qualified for the National Seafood Skill Olympiad Grand Finale.

During the Grand Finale, the finalists will demonstrate their technical expertise before an eminent jury comprising experts from the seafood processing industry and academia. The winners will be presented with medals, certificates and cash prizes of ₹1,00,000 for the first prize, ₹75,000 for the second prize, ₹50,000 for the third prize and ₹25,000 for the fourth prize (consolation).

The event will be attended by senior officials from the Central and State Governments, seafood exporters, international buyers, industry leaders, technical experts and delegates participating in Seafood Expo Bharat 2026.

The award-winning value-added seafood products prepared by the finalists will be showcased at the Skill Olympiad Pavilion. The pavilion will also feature live demonstrations and tasting sessions of export-oriented value-added seafood products developed through MPEDA's training programmes.

MPEDA Chairman Shri P. Jawahar said that the National Seafood Skill Olympiad reflects MPEDA's commitment to fostering excellence across the seafood value chain. He said that by recognising and promoting skilled professionals, the initiative is strengthening the industry's workforce and further enhancing India's position as a trusted global supplier of high-quality seafood.

He further stated that investment in human capital is essential for sustaining India's leadership in the blue economy and that the flagship initiative would help create a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the evolving demands of international markets.

Seafood Expo Bharat 2026, India's premier international seafood exposition will feature more than 325 exhibition stalls across dedicated segments covering seafood processing, aquaculture, packaging machinery, logistics and government pavilions.

Over the three-day event, nearly 5,000 domestic and international stakeholders are expected to participate in high-level business-to-business meetings, engage with stakeholders across retail and aquaculture value chains, and attend five parallel technical sessions focusing on innovation, sustainability and emerging industry trends.

The exposition will also host major workforce and culinary events, including the National Seafood Skill Olympiad and the Seafood Culinary Olympiad, providing a comprehensive platform for industry stakeholders to expand business opportunities, promote innovation and forge strategic partnerships across the global seafood value chain.

India's seafood exports reached a record USD 8.45 billion during FY 2025-26, reaffirming the country's position as one of the world's leading seafood exporting nations. The country currently has 670 approved seafood processing units with a combined processing capacity exceeding 40,000 metric tonnes per day. Of these, 127 units manufacture value-added seafood products, contributing nearly 10 per cent (USD 0.84 billion) of India's total seafood exports.

Recognising the significant growth potential of the value-added seafood segment, India has set an ambitious target of increasing the share of value-added products to 25 per cent of total seafood exports by 2030.

To achieve this objective, MPEDA has been implementing a range of schemes and capacity-building initiatives to promote product innovation, strengthen processing and value addition infrastructure, develop a skilled workforce, and enhance awareness of quality standards across the seafood processing sector.

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Abhishek Dayal / Garima Singh/ Ishita Biswas

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