New Delhi, Nov 20 India is the second-largest fish producing country and one of the largest shrimp producers in the world, with fish production more than doubling from 96 lakh tonnes in 2013–14 to 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, the government data showed on Thursday, ahead of the World Fisheries Day.
Observed worldwide on November 21, the World Fisheries Day underscores the critical role of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in supporting food and nutritional security, livelihood generation, and ecological balance. This year, World Fisheries Day is being observed with the theme “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports.”
In India, the day holds particular significance. The sector sustains over 30 million livelihoods, especially in coastal and rural regions, and serves as a key driver of India’s blue economy.
Coastal states and Union Territories, which include around 3,477 coastal fishing villages, produce 72 per cent of the country’s total fish production and account for 76 per cent of India’s total seafood exports. Furthermore, marine product exports increased by 11.08 per cent from $0.81 billion in October 2024 to $0.90 billion in October 2025.
India continues to strengthen support for the fisheries sector, and the latest push has come through the GST 2.0 reforms.
Under the revised structure, the approved reductions in GST rates for fish oils, fish extracts, and prepared or preserved fish and shrimp products, from 12 per cent to 5 per cent.
This measure is expected to make value-added seafood more affordable domestically and increase the global competitiveness of Indian seafood exports.
India accounts for nearly 8 per cent of the world’s fish output. The fisheries sector remains a critical source of food, employment, and income for millions, particularly in coastal and rural communities, and has experienced remarkable expansion in both scale and sustainability over the past decade.
Between 2013–14 and 2024–25, India’s total fish production more than doubled, increasing from 96 lakh tonnes to 195 lakh tonnes, with inland fisheries registering an impressive 140 per cent growth during this period. Seafood exports now amount to Rs 62,408 crore in 2024-25, reflecting the sector’s rising global competitiveness.
According to the data, India’s extensive 11,099 km coastline and vast inland water resources have collectively fuelled this progress, enhancing the country’s role in the global blue economy while contributing to improved nutritional security.
This accelerated growth has been supported by a series of transformative government initiatives, including the 5th National Marine Fisheries Census 2025, the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rules, and major schemes such as the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF), the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY).
With a total investment of Rs 20,312 crore for the period 2020–21 to 2025–26, the PMMSY scheme seeks to promote a Blue Revolution by ensuring the sustainable and responsible development of India’s fisheries sector, while enhancing the welfare of fishers and fish farmers across all States and Union Territories.
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