MPEDA to host second National Seafood Skill Olympiad from July 1

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) With the aim of increasing seafood exports, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is set to organise the second edition of the National Seafood Skill Olympiad from July 1 to 3, 2026.

India ranks first in shrimp exports and fifth among the world’s seafood-exporting nations, after China, Norway, Ecuador and Vietnam.

The country is steadily expanding the production and export of value-added seafood products.

The Olympiad will be part of Seafood Expo Bharat (SEB) 2026 and will bring together skilled professionals from across the country to showcase their expertise in preparing value-added seafood products.

MPEDA had earlier conducted 50 seafood value-addition training programmes as a precursor to the Olympiad.

More than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals were trained in the preparation of value-added marine products that are in high demand in international markets.

The training covered products such as breaded squid rings, Nobashi (stretched shrimp), breaded butterfly shrimp, cooked Peeled, Deveined, Tail-On (PDTO) shrimp, marinated shrimp skewers and fish fillets.

Preliminary-level skill competitions were conducted following each training programme, and the best performers were shortlisted.

State-level Olympiads were then conducted across the coastal states, followed by regional competitions.

These were held in Mumbai for the West Coast and Vijayawada for the East Coast.

The top 10 performers from these regional competitions have qualified for the National Seafood Skill Olympiad grand finale.

The finalists will demonstrate their technical expertise during the grand finale before an eminent jury comprising experts from the seafood processing industry and academia.

The winners will be presented with medals, certificates and cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000.

The Olympiad reflects the organisation’s commitment to fostering excellence across the seafood value chain, MPEDA Chairman P. Jawahar said.

By recognising and promoting skilled professionals, the initiative is strengthening the industry’s workforce and further enhancing India’s position as a trusted global supplier of high-quality seafood, he said.

Nearly 5,000 domestic and international stakeholders are expected to participate in high-level business-to-business meetings, engage with stakeholders across retail and aquaculture value chains, and attend five parallel technical sessions focusing on innovation, sustainability and emerging industry trends during the three-day event in Mumbai.

India’s seafood exports reached a record USD 8.45 billion during FY2025-26, reaffirming the country’s position as one of the world’s leading seafood-exporting nations.

The country now has 670 approved seafood processing units with a combined processing capacity exceeding 40,000 metric tonnes per day.

Of these, 127 units produce value-added seafood products, contributing nearly 10 per cent of India’s total seafood exports.

The government has recognised the significant growth potential of the value-added seafood segment and set an ambitious target of increasing the share of value-added products to 25 per cent of total seafood exports by 2030.

–IANS

jayanta/pgh