India’s premium seafood and vibrant wine industry has grown significantly with seafood exports alone reaching $7.3 billion in value and 17.81 lakh metric tonnes in volume, the government said on Saturday.
The event, organised by the Indian Embassy in Brussels, showcased India’s best culinary offerings in wine and seafood to business leaders, trade organisations, seafood importers, government trade agencies and members of the diplomatic corps.
The exhibition was organised in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.
Saurabh Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (EU), said the event was important for strengthening cultural and trade ties.
Sunil Bartwal, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, spoke about India’s dynamic trade landscape and its growing partnership with the European Union, especially in seafood and wine.
At the event, attendees savoured a carefully selected menu featuring five elite varieties of Indian seafood: Vannamei prawns, black tiger prawns, king fish (Surmai), tilapia and squid.
These delicacies were skilfully paired with wines from Indian vineyards whose bold reds, crisp whites and refreshing pinks demonstrated the global recognition of Indian wine craftsmanship.
The Indian wine industry has grown tremendously, with over 24 renowned brands combining global expertise with local traditions.
Red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Sangiovese and white wines such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier were on display.
Frozen prawns continued to be the most sought-after commodity for export in terms of both volume and value. During the financial year 2023-24, India exported 716,004 MT of frozen shrimp, earning Rs 40,013.54 crore (US$ 4.88 billion), accounting for 40.19 per cent of total exports and 66.12 per cent of total revenue in US dollars.
The US and China remained the largest markets for Indian seafood, with the US importing 297,571 MT of frozen shrimp and China importing 148,483 MT. Black Tiger (BT) shrimp exports grew significantly, increasing by 24.91 per cent in quantity, 11.33 per cent in value (in rupees) and 8.28 per cent in dollar terms. A total quantity of 38,987 MT black tiger prawns worth Rs 2,855.27 crore (US$ 347.84 million) was exported, with China, including Hong Kong, being the major destinations, followed by USA, EU and Japan,
Shellfish exports also showed a positive trend, increasing by 6.42 per cent in quantity, 23.22 per cent in value (in rupees) and 18.96 per cent in US dollars. On the contrary, exports of shrimp vannamei increased by 0.33 per cent in volume but declined by 11.56 per cent in dollar terms.
Other major export commodities
Frozen fish, the second largest commodity for exports, fetched Rs 5,509.69 crore ($671.17 million), accounting for 21.42 per cent of total exports. Frozen fish exports increased by 3.54 per cent in volume and 0.12 per cent in value (in rupees), though they declined by 2.31 per cent in dollar terms.
Fish and shrimp meal and feed, which are inedible dried goods, emerged as the third most important commodity in the export basket, fetching Rs 3,684.79 crore ($449.17 million). This category showed an increase of 15.99 per cent in volume, 34.07 per cent in value (in rupees) and 31.52 per cent in US dollars.
Frozen squid and cuttlefish were the other significant commodities for exports. Frozen squid fetched Rs 3,061.46 crore (US$ 373.40 million), up 11.52 per cent in volume terms, while frozen cuttlefish fetched Rs 2,252.63 crore (US$ 274.62 million).
Emerging export sectors
Chilled exports, which is considered an emerging sector, grew by 47.06 per cent in volume and 8.66 per cent in dollar terms. Frozen octopus, fish oil, live goods, dried edible goods, frozen lobsters and fish faces also contributed to the diverse seafood exports.
The US remained the largest importer of Indian seafood, accounting for 34.53 per cent of the total dollar value, with imports worth US$ 2.55 billion. Frozen prawns were the major export commodity to the US, with black tiger prawn exports increasing by 35.37 per cent by volume.
China was the second largest importing country, importing 451,363 MT worth US$1.38 billion. Exports to China increased 12.80% by volume, although there was a slight decline in value. Frozen shrimp and fish were the main commodities exported to China.
Japan ranked third among importers, mainly importing frozen shrimp. It was followed by Vietnam and Thailand, with Vietnam importing 132,086 MT worth US$391.41 million and Thailand importing 138,457 MT worth US$281.97 million. Both countries mainly imported frozen shrimp and fish.
The Seafood Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has launched several initiatives to double the export share of value-added products by 2030, expecting 20 per cent of total exports to be value-added products. Training programmes will be organised to improve the quality and processing standards of seafood exports, further enhancing India’s competitiveness in the global market.
