India’s seafood exports reached an all-time high of ₹72,325.82 crore (US$8.28 billion) in FY 2025-26, with total volumes touching 19.32 lakh metric tonnes, according to provisional data released by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday, 21 April.
Frozen shrimp remained the dominant contributor, accounting for ₹47,973.13 crore (US$5.51 billion), or more than two-thirds of total export earnings.
Shrimp shipments grew 4.6 per cent in volume and 6.35 per cent in value during the year, reinforcing its position as the backbone of India’s marine export basket.
The United States continued to be the largest export destination with imports worth US$2.32 billion.
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However, exports to the US declined 19.8 per cent in volume and 14.5 per cent in value, primarily due to the impact of reciprocal tariffs.
This decline was offset by strong growth in alternative markets. Exports to China rose 22.7 per cent in value and 20.1 per cent in volume, while shipments to the European Union increased 37.9 per cent in value and 35.2 per cent in volume.
Southeast Asian markets also recorded significant growth, with exports rising over 36.1 per cent in value and 28.2 per cent in volume.
Exports to Japan grew 6.55 per cent in value, while shipments to West Asia saw a marginal decline of 0.55 per cent, attributed to regional turmoil towards the end of the financial year.
On the product side, exports of frozen fish, squid, cuttlefish, dried items and live products registered positive growth, while chilled products declined. Surimi, fishmeal and fish oil exports also showed improved performance during the year.
In terms of logistics, the top five ports – Visakhapatnam, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kochi, Kolkata and Chennai – accounted for nearly 64 per cent of total export value, underlining their central role in India’s seafood export supply chain.
