Divisions
Export Promotion (Marine Products)
Functions of the Division

The EP (MP) Desk contributes towards policy formulation of exports of Marine Products and also facilitating and promoting exports of Marine and allied / processed products. The Desk is responsible for administrative matters of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), which is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, entrusted with the overall development, promotion and export of fish and fishery products from the country.

Functions of the Division

The export of marine products registered a growth of approx. 30% as compared to FY 2020-21 and achieved as all-time high figure of US$ 7.74 billion in FY 2021-22. This record figure has been achieved despite the hindrances arisen due to pandemic lockdowns. Today, India is the fourth largest seafood exporting nation in the world. The export data is given in the table below:-

FY 2020-21
FY 2021-22
GROWTH (%)
Value in US$ (Million)
5957.00
7740.00
29.93

Further, the exports during April to September in FY 2022-23 has shown a growth of 6.67% in US$ earnings compared to the same period last year. USA, China and Japan are the major contributors to the seafood export basket of the country. Provision export figures till September month are mentioned in the table below:-

APRIL-SEPTEMBER
2021- 22
 (PROVISIONAL)
APRIL-SEPTEMBER
2021- 22
 (PROVISIONAL)
 GROWTH (%)
Value in US$
(Million)
3832.46
4088.13
6.67
Market-wise Exports
S.       
No 
Territorial 
Divisions          
Countries                   
Target Set
Target 
Achieved 
% of Target 
Achieved 
% growth achieved 
1 
NAFTA 
U S A 
3021 
3315 
110%        
37% 
2 
NEA 
CHINA 
1021 
1121 
110% 
29% 
3 
NEA 
JAPAN 
428 
448 
105% 
9% 
4 
ASEAN 
VIETNAM 
406 
311 
77% 
2% 
5 
ASEAN 
THAILAND 
328 
262 
80% 
44% 
 
6 
EU 
SPAIN 
208 
207 
99% 
37% 
7 
NAFTA 
CANADA 
187 
191 
102% 
29% 
8 
EU 
ITALY 
176 
177 
100% 
46% 
9 
WANA 
UAE 
245 
164 
67% 
-1% 
10 
EU 
BELGIUM 
154 
157 
102% 
32% 
Top 10 countries total 
6174 
6352 
103% 
30% 
Others 111 countries total 
1634 
1388 
85% 
30% 
Total 121 countries 
7,809 
7,740 
99% 
30% 
  
Major Trade Promotion Activities & Achievements

After long break due to pandemic, DoC approved participation of MPEDA in 5 International Seafood Fairs in FY 2022-23 as on October 2022 as part of their diverse export promotion activities and there are still two more shows remaining in 2022-23.

    • India International Seafood Show 2023: DoC has approved organization of the23rd edition of India International Seafood Show – IISS (2023) jointly by MPEDA andSEAI from 15th – 17th February, 2023 at Kolkata, West Bengal.
    • Online validation of certificates & registration: To promote export, MPEDA isvalidating all export facilitation certificates electronically. The online registration ofexporters and entities have been made completely digitized as part of ease of doingbusiness.
    • Upgradation of Fishing Harbours: Union Budget 2020-21 announced 05 fishing harbours – at Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Petuaghat as hub of
      economic activities. With regard to Cochin Fisheries Harbour project, MPEDA is providing the technical support to Cochin Port Trust for improving the quality/sustainability aspects of the fishes landed in the harbour.
    • Division of DoC in coordination with MPEDA, Department of Fisheries and all concerned Departments/stakeholders has been taking every possible measure to
      address market access related issues and fulfill the requirements of importing nations’requirements.
    • Reduction in vessel reporting time: Based on the DoC/MPEDA’s intervention, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand has reduced the advance reporting time to 36 hours for fishing vessels sailing from Andaman & Nicobar to Thailand for promotion of seafood exports from Island.
    • E-Santa: E Santa, an e-Commerce platform has been launched by MPEDA for facilitating direct trade between small and marginal aqua farmers and the exporters by avoiding middle man effectively and thereby fetching better returns of the farmers.
    • Minimizing the burden of regulatory compliances: A total of 29 regulatory compliances have been removed by MPEDA. As a part of the exercise to reduce the
      regulatory compliances burden and promoting ease of doing business in the fisheries export sector, the Department of Commerce has proposed to amend 3 provisions in MPEDA Act, 1972 (13 of 1972) for decriminalizing them and continue only with penalties. This would be incorporated in the Umbrella Legislation namely “The Ease of
      Doing Business and Ease of Living (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022”, being framed by DPIIT.
    • Lab on Wheel by MPEDA – India’s first sophisticated Mobile Aquaculture Disease Diagnostics Laboratory. RT-PCR, Water quality parameters and Microbiology testing being carried within 3.0 hours at Farm itself.
    • Upon MPEDAs intervention, the tariff on fish and fishery products under the recently concluded India-UAE FTA has been reduced from 5 % to 0 %, which would be helpful in enhancing India’s seafood exports to UAE market.
    • Support for value addition of seafood: Export of value added products has enhanced the unit value realization for Indian marine products. But most of the modern equipment are highly capital intensive. In order to assist the Indian seafood processors to adopt value addition, MPEDA has been operating financial assistance schemes to exporters for setting up of new units, to expand the existing production capacity for value added products and for diversifying into value addition through institutional finance. In addition to financial assistance schemes, MPEDA has been providing hands on training programs.
    • Species diversification: MPEDA has standardized seed production and culture of diversified species like Tilapia, Seabass, Scampi, mud crab etc. 5 (Five) Demonstration programmes for the exportable species have been initiated during the period for the popularization of the diversified species while 9 demonstrations are continuing from the last year.
    • Certification of aquaculture (SHAPHARI): MPEDA has implemented the SHAPHARI Certification scheme for hatcheries for production of antibiotic free shrimp
      seeds. A pilot scheme for Shaphari Certification of hatcheries was launched in 2020 with the voluntary participation of 13 shrimp hatcheries on 50% cost sharing basis and since then many hatcheries have been certified under the scheme. Seeds from the certified hatcheries are found negative for all the OIE listed pathogens during the audits
    • Thailand lifted ban on L. vannamei: As a result of the continuous efforts taken by Government of India, the Government of Thailand has lifted the ban on import of frozen vannamei shrimp from India w.e.f 15/06/2022, subsequent to the Virtual audit of India’s shrimp disease control system.
    • Covid 19 Testing: Microbiology & Molecular Biology divisions of MPEDA QC Lab, Kochi is testing fish and fishery products for the detection of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungus including COVID 19 nucleic acid. During April – October 2022, total 2510 Commercial samples were tested for SARS COV-19 Nucleic Acid materiel in Seafood Packaging material.
    • As part of Shrimp Regulatory Partnership Agreement (RPA), USFDA in association with MPEDA and JIFSAN is organizing a series of trainings for the benefit
      of Indian seafood industry. One Seafood HACCP trainers training and FDA Import Operations training was also organized in association with USFDA and JIFSAN during
      the month of July 2022. USFDA has also proposed for sanitation training during the month of January 2023 for the benefit of Indian seafood industry.
    • As a part of celebration of the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, MPEDA along with its society, NETFISH organized a nation-wide mega event on 26th September 2021, as part of the observance of ‘Vanijya Saptah’ (20-26th September, 2021). The event covered nine fishing harbours in nine maritime states, involing nearly 75 fishing boats and 750 fishers with the theme “Responsible Fishing for Sustainable Future”.
    • As part of the ‘Swacch Sagar Surakshit Sagar’ campaign of GoI in connection with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav & International Coastal Clean-up day 2022, NETFISH of MPEDA conducted 14 numbers of Beach/Coastal clean-up events across the 9 coastal states & Pondicherry UT during July-September 2022, sensitizing the fishers and general public about the impact of single use plastics on marine eco-system and about sanitation & hygiene required in beaches/coastal areas.
    • NETFISH had signed a MOU with The Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training (CIFNET), Kochi in April 2022 for conducting joint training programmes for the welfare and socio-economic upliftment of the fishers, as well as resource conservation and post-harvest quality management by imparting adequate skill development training programmes under PMMSY scheme.
    • As part of the Marine Mammal Stock Assessment project funded by DoF, GoI, the first phase of by-catch survey for this year was completed by conducting around 6750 fisher interviews covering 138 selected landing sites across the 9 coastal states.
MPEDA Act, Rules & Regulations

The details of MPEDA Act, Rules & Regulations 1972, may be seen on the MPEDA’s website on the link https://mpeda.gov.in/MPEDA/act_rule.php

Officers in the Division
Appellate Authority
Dr. M. Balaji | Joint Secretary
  • Room No: 422, Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
  • Email : m[dot]balaji05[at]iasgov[dot]in
CPIO
Shri Kaushlendra Pratap Singh | Joint DGFT
  • Room No: 405, Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
  • Email: kaushlendrap[dot]singh[at]nic[dot]in
Shri Kumar Saurav | Section Officer
  • Room No: 446-A, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
  • Email: moc_epmp[at]nic[dot]in