A record year for Indian seafood
India exported 19,72,018 metric tonnes (MT) of seafood valued at ₹73,890.46 crore (USD 8.46 billion) during the FY 2025–26 fiscal year — registering an all-time high in both volume and value. MPEDA Chairman Shri P. Jawahar, IAS, made the announcement on 1 June 2026 in Kolkata.
The United States and China remained the primary importers of Indian seafood during the period, underscoring the continued global demand for India's marine produce across both premium and commodity segments.
"India has achieved an all-time high in both volume and value of seafood exports — FY 2025–26 marks a watershed moment for our Blue Economy."
What drove the record: product breakdown
Frozen shrimp continued to anchor India's export basket, accounting for 40.19% of total volume and 66.52% of total USD earnings. A total of 7,92,647 MT of frozen shrimp — valued at ₹49,037.93 crore (USD 5,624.48 million) — was shipped in FY 2025–26. Shrimp exports grew by 13.16% in Rupee value and 8.64% in USD value year-on-year.
| Category | Volume (MT) | Value (₹ Cr) | Value (USD M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦐 Frozen Shrimp #1 | 7,92,647 | 49,038 | 5,624 |
| 🐟 Frozen Fish #2 | — | 5,658 | 644 |
| 🐠 Dried Seafood #3 | — | 5,079 | 577 |
| 🦑 Frozen Squid | 1,02,060 | 4,494 | 514 |
| 🦑 Frozen Cuttlefish | 67,157 | — | 332 |
| ❄️ Chilled Items | — | 622 | 71 |
| 🐚 Live Items | — | — | 62 |
Notable performers outside shrimp: Dried seafood surged 78.05% in Rupee value terms — the fastest-growing category. Frozen cuttlefish grew 13.32% in quantity and 16.25% in USD value. Live items registered 11.46% growth in USD value.
Top destination markets
The US and China dominated, but the market mix reflects a broadening of India's export reach.
| Destination | Volume (MT) | Value (USD M) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States #1 by value | 2,79,193 | 2,329 | 93.55% is frozen shrimp; volume −19.51% |
| 🇨🇳 China #1 by volume | 4,90,369 | 1,611 | Largest by quantity |
| 🇪🇺 European Union #3 by value | 2,97,518 | 1,592 | Premium seafood gateway |
| South-East Asia | 4,51,756 | 1,349 | #4 by value |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 1,05,228 | 453 | #5 by value; key sashimi market |
| Middle East | 76,743 | 283 | #6 by value |
For frozen shrimp specifically, the US imported 2,56,128 MT — followed by China (1,69,505 MT), the EU (1,35,599 MT), Southeast Asia (83,810 MT), Japan (40,776 MT), and the Middle East (30,478 MT). The top three ports handling seafood cargo in 2025–26 were Vizag, JNPT, and Kochi.
What this means for Lakshadweep tuna investors
The FY 2025–26 export record is the market proof-of-concept for Lakshadweep's premium tuna strategy. Three signals stand out:
- Japan and the EU — the two highest-value markets for sashimi-grade and eco-certified tuna — are both active, growing importers of Indian seafood. Japan alone imported USD 453 M worth; the EU USD 1.59 B.
- Dried seafood grew 78% — confirming accelerating demand for processed, value-added formats, exactly the output Lakshadweep's Chill Fish Plants are designed to supply.
- The US decline in volume (−19.51%) despite holding the #1 value position shows that premium, traceable product is holding price even as commodity volumes compress — validating the pole-and-line, certified, sashimi-grade positioning.