India to host envoys of 83 countries at roundtable on seafood exports

January 20, 2026

New Delhi: The Centre’s Department of Fisheries will organise a roundtable conference with ambassadors and high commissioners from 83 partner countries on January 21 to promote India’s seafood exports, it was announced on Tuesday.

India’s seafood export strength in focus
India is currently the sixth-largest exporter of fish and fishery products globally. In 2024–25, seafood exports touched 16.98 lakh metric tonnes, valued at Rs 62,408 crore ($7.45 billion), accounting for nearly 18 per cent of the country’s total agricultural exports. The conference will be chaired by Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, in the presence of Ministers of State George Kurian and S.P. Singh Baghel.

Global participation and institutional support
Ambassadors and High Commissioners from countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and Latin America & the Caribbean will attend the event. Senior officials from Central ministries and international organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will also participate.

Key agenda: sustainability, market access and partnerships
According to an official statement, the conference will serve as a diplomatic and technical platform for structured dialogue on seafood trade, market access, regulatory cooperation and emerging opportunities for bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Discussions will focus on promoting sustainable, traceable and value-added seafood trade, identifying investment opportunities, joint ventures, technology transfer and capacity building, and strengthening the resilience of seafood value chains against climate and market risks. The deliberations will also explore global trade trends, standards and certification, digital traceability systems, value addition, logistics, cold-chain infrastructure and the growing demand for high-quality, certified and sustainably sourced seafood worldwide.