KOCHI: Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, stated that India plans to double marine product exports to Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years from the current level of roughly Rs 50,000 crore. The minister said this, while speaking at an event in Kochi on Monday.

"This aim would be met by sustainable fishing, assuring quality and variety, promoting coastal shipping and aquaculture, and supporting the entire fisheries ecosystem," Goyal stated at the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in Kochi, speaking to the media.

K.N. Raghavan, Chairman of MPEDA, presented a road map for achieving a Rs 1 lakh crore export turnover during the event.
The Union minister also stated that free trade agreements with the UAE and Australia have been finalised, but negotiations with the UK and Canada are still ongoing. He said that talks to negotiate an FTA with the EU will commence on the 17th of this month in Brussels.

The Minister met with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) at MPEDA and held an in-depth conversation about the sector's issues, challenges, and solutions. He also met with fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karnataka. He assured to take steps to reduce barriers to the import of raw materials for value addition, allowing India to become a seafood processing centre in the near future.

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