India's Exports of Frozen Shrimps Hit Record High Despite Global Challenges
India witnessed a significant surge in its seafood exports, reaching an all-time high of $8.46 billion, driven mainly by frozen shrimp exports which accounted for a substantial portion of the total export value. The US and China were identified as key importers, underscoring India's global presence in this lucrative market.
Highlights
- •Record High Seafood Exports
- •Frozen Shrimp Leading Export Item
- •US, China as Major Importers
- •Visakhapatnam Port's Dominance
India achieved a record high in its seafood exports during fiscal 2025-26, with shipments reaching 19.72 lakh tonnes valued at ₹73,890.46 crore ($8.46 billion). P. Jawahar, Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), highlighted improvements in export volumes and values by significant margins: a 16.13% increase in volume, 18.4% rise in rupee value, and 13.44% growth in dollar terms.
Of the top ports contributing to India's seafood exports, Visakhapatnam emerged as the leading gateway, shipping 3.28 lakh tonnes with a worth of ₹20,217 crore. Jawaharlal Nehru Port handled over 3.1 lakh tonnes valued at ₹8,717 crore, ranking second. Kochi Port followed closely, exporting 1.79 lakh tonnes ($7,285 crore), while other key ports like Kolkata and Chennai processed smaller but significant volumes.
Frozen Shrimps Lead the Export Chart
The record-breaking export was heavily skewed towards frozen shrimps, which generated ₹49,037.93 crore ($5,624.48 million), marking a 13.16% growth in rupee terms and an 8.64% increase in dollar earnings. Shrimp exports totaled 7,92,647 metric tonnes, with the U.S. as the largest importer (2,56,128mt) followed by China (1,69,505mt), European Union (1,35,599mt), Southeast Asia (83,810mt), Japan (40,776mt), Middle East (30,478mt), and other countries accounting for 76,351 metric tonnes.
The performance of the vannamei shrimp variety in Andhra Pradesh's aquaculture sector attributed significantly to Visakhapatnam port's success. The chairman also noted the growth in both exports of L vannamei (Whiteleg shrimps) and Black Tiger shrimps in terms of both volume and value.
