In a significant policy shift intended to unlock the economic potential of its long coastline, the Tamil Nadu government presented its ambitious objective to make the state a global hub for seafood exports. The state is targeting ten times the present value to $5 billion in exports with made value in processing, packaging for exports and cold chain across its 1,076-km coastline, the second longest in India.
The announcement was made during the Tamil Nadu Seafood Business Connect in Chennai, where officials from the state interacted with global seafood importers and the stakeholders from India’s domestic seafood processing industry. The seafood event attracted attention for its goal of spurring new partnerships to catalyse Tamil Nadu’s seafood economy.
From Raw Catch to High-Value Exports
Tamil Nadu’s Industries Minister Dr. T R B Rajaa presented the vision, explaining that the state intends to move beyond merely exporting raw catch. “Our goal is to become a global centre for processed, high-quality seafood. That means building modern processing units, establishing efficient cold chain logistics, and ensuring export-ready packaging facilities in every coastal district,” he stated.
He further added, “This initiative is not just about trade. It’s about creating sustainable livelihoods, improving incomes for our fishing communities, and tapping into the broader potential of the Blue Economy.”
Strategic Investment to Back the Plan
To turn the $5 billion goal into reality, the government plans to prepare a detailed roadmap. Strategic investments and infrastructure support are already in motion. The idea is to make seafood processing more robust at the grassroots level within the coastal communities so that value is added within the state itself, before reaching global markets.
Dr. Rajaa, in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), said, “We are charting an ambitious course to unlock our Blue Economy. We want to empower fishing communities with the infrastructure needed to add value right here, where the catch begins. This is a future-focused move, driven by sustainability and inclusivity.”
Why Now? Rising Global Demand for Processed Seafood
The plan is coming at an important time. There is global demand for processed and sourced seafood in a sustainable manner, allowing Tamil Nadu – a State already heavily involved in the seafood value chain activity the chance to reposition itself in the global seafood value chain. Tamil Nadu also has chance to drastically improve its position in the global seafood market by increasing processing infrastructure and cold storage in the State.
Current Export Status and Scope for Growth
For FY25, Tamil Nadu accounted for $457 million accounting for 6.2% of India’s entire marine product exports down from $484 million (5.6%) in FY24. While the state has had positive and negative or varying results over the last five years, the state has almost infinite potential now, moving forward.
With the implementation of the new export strategy in Tamil Nadu, it will aim to reverse this trend of remaining stagnant, and create long-term, consistent and sustainable growth by updating infrastructure and managing demand at a distance with an international outlook .
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