Blue Economy key driver of future growth: CM Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the “Blue Economy” will be a major driver of future economic growth and called for a coordinated national effort to build a globally trusted Indian seafood brand based on quality, sustainability and traceability.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day National Workshop on Seafood Exports, organised by the Department of Fisheries in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The workshop brought together senior officials from the Centre, representatives of States and Union Territories, and key national institutions, including MPEDA, EIC, NFDB and NABARD, to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening India’s seafood export ecosystem.
With India targeting ₹1 lakh crore in seafood exports, the deliberations focused on improving infrastructure, innovation and institutional support across the entire value chain.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India must adopt advanced technologies to fully harness its aquatic resources and strengthen its position as a trusted global seafood exporter. He stressed the need to upgrade export infrastructure, including the proposed quarantine and allied facilities in Visakhapatnam, to ensure seamless trade.
Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said seafood production and exports have more than doubled over the past decade, reaching 197 lakh tonnes and over ₹73,000 crore respectively. He also announced the approval of a Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour at Kakinada under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with an outlay of ₹72.42 crore.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu called for a whole-of-government approach to strengthen air cargo connectivity and multimodal logistics to make seafood exports more efficient and cost-effective.
Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan urged a shift from “volume to value” and “produce to product,” highlighting the growing potential of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook seafood segments.
Participants identified key challenges, including disease management in aquaculture, high input costs and gaps in cold-chain infrastructure. Experts also stressed the need for greater technological adoption and diversification of export markets.
The workshop also included the distribution of benefits under PMMKSSY and Kisan Credit Cards to support stakeholders across the fisheries value chain.