P. Jawahar, IAS, Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), called on Anu Garg, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha, to discuss collaborative strategies for expanding marine product exports from the state.
The Chairman also held meetings with senior state officials, including Manoj Kumar Sahoo, IAS, Secretary to the Chief Minister; D. V. Swamy, IAS, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Department; Prem Chandra Chaudhary, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Department; and Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, IAS, State Mission Director-cum-CEO, Odisha Livelihoods Mission.
Odisha, with its roughly 575 km coastline, the expansive Chilika lagoon (Asia’s largest brackish-water body), extensive brackish-water areas, and large reservoirs, holds significant untapped potential in the seafood sector. The discussions focused on seven key priorities: increasing the share of value-added products in exports; promoting high-value species such as mud crab and scampi; pursuing Geographical Indication (GI) status and branding for mud crab and black tiger shrimp from Chilika Lake; co-participation of Odisha with MPEDA in the India Pavilion at international seafood shows; training and capacity building of crew for high-seas tuna fishing and onboard processing; enrolment of state reservoirs with MPEDA to open export pathways for freshwater fish; and onboarding aqua farms onto the AquaTrace system to meet global traceability requirements.
The Chief Secretary sought MPEDA’s support for export facilitation. Both sides agreed that MPEDA will work closely with the Odisha government to evolve strategies and an action plan aimed at enhancing seafood exports, in line with the state’s Deep Sea Fishing Mission (2026–2036). Approved earlier this year with an outlay of ₹2,295 crore, the mission targets additional marine production, job creation, and marine exports of around ₹5,000 crore annually by 2036, with a strong focus on offshore species such as tuna.
The initiative comes as Odisha’s seafood exports have shown overall growth—reaching over ₹5,400 crore in value in recent data—though the basket remains heavily dominated by shrimp. Efforts to diversify species, raise value addition, and strengthen market access and compliance are seen as critical next steps.
MPEDA expressed appreciation for the warm reception and the state government’s commitment to positioning Odisha among India’s leading seafood-exporting states.
