India is setting an ambitious goal to triple its seafood exports to USD 30 billion by 2030, as highlighted by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during a national workshop in Visakhapatnam. This bold aim underscores a strategic pivot from raw commodity exports to a focus on quality and value-added goods.
Minister Goyal emphasized the necessity for the seafood industry to embrace value addition to enhance its global footprint, supported by India’s nine new free trade agreements with developed nations. Reflecting on Andhra Pradesh’s leadership in fisheries, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu advocated for a collaborative approach to transform the ‘Blue Economy’ into a key economic driver.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh announced the establishment of a National Fisheries Board office in Andhra Pradesh, intending to enhance inland state contributions and capitalize on resilient trade relations with the EU, Japan, and China, despite challenges such as high US tariffs. The strategy includes developing a Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour with modern infrastructure at Kakinada under the PMMSY scheme.
(With inputs from agencies.)