New Delhi: India seafood exports reached a record ₹73,890.46 crore (USD 8.46 billion) in FY 2025-26, with export volumes touching 19,72,018 metric tonnes despite challenging global market conditions, according to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
MPEDA Chairman P. Jawahar said the achievement marked an all-time high in both export value and volume. He noted that strong demand for frozen shrimp and diversified export markets helped drive the growth.
Frozen shrimp remained the largest contributor to India seafood exports during the financial year. The segment generated ₹49,037.93 crore (USD 5.62 billion) and accounted for 66.52 per cent of export earnings in dollar terms. Additionally, frozen shrimp represented 40.19 per cent of the total seafood export volume.
A total of 7,92,647 metric tonnes of frozen shrimp was exported during the year. The United States remained the largest buyer, importing 2,56,128 metric tonnes. China followed with 1,69,505 metric tonnes, while the European Union imported 1,35,599 metric tonnes.
Frozen fish emerged as the second-largest export category and generated ₹5,658.37 crore. Meanwhile, dried seafood products ranked third and earned ₹5,079.09 crore. The dried seafood segment also recorded strong growth during the year.
India seafood exports driven by shrimp and global demand
Exports of frozen squid reached 1,02,060 metric tonnes and generated ₹4,493.80 crore. Furthermore, frozen cuttlefish exports increased in both volume and value, reaching 67,157 metric tonnes and earning USD 331.96 million.
In overseas markets, the United States remained the top destination in value terms, importing seafood worth USD 2.33 billion. However, exports to the US declined in value and volume compared with the previous year.
China emerged as the largest importer by quantity, purchasing 4,90,369 metric tonnes of Indian seafood worth USD 1.61 billion. Moreover, the European Union remained the third-largest market, followed by Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East.
Officials said the top three ports handling seafood export cargo during FY 2025-26 were Visakhapatnam, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kochi. They added that growing demand across international markets continued to strengthen India’s position in the global seafood trade.
