TL;DR: India exported about 1.78 million tonnes of marine products in 2023–24, up from roughly 1.4 million tonnes in 2018–19, an increase of around 29% in five years. Export earnings, however, fell to USD 7.38 billion, down from USD 8.09 billion in 2022–23. This gap between quantity and value reflects falling global prices, led by shrimp. Frozen shrimp continues to dominate exports, accounting for about two-thirds of export earnings, while the USA and China together buy more than half of India’s marine exports by value.

Context

Seafood is one of India’s most global food products. From shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh to fishing harbours in Kerala and Gujarat, millions of people are linked to marine exports. Marine produce is packed, frozen, shipped, and consumed thousands of kilometres away from India. As a result, export outcomes depend not only on domestic production but also on international demand, pricing cycles, freight costs, and disruptions to global shipping routes.

Who Compiles This Data?

The export data on marine products is compiled by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. MPEDA tracks export volumes, values, product categories, and destination markets, and releases annual export performance statistics based on customs and port-level data.

Where Can I Download Clean and Structured Data on Marine Exports?

Clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets on marine exports, including export quantity, value, item-wise breakup, and country-wise distributio,n can be downloaded from Dataful.

Key Insights

India is exporting more seafood, but earning less per unit

Between 2018–19 and 2023–24, India’s marine export quantity increased from about 1.4 million tonnes to 1.78 million tonnes, an increase of nearly 29%. On average, this works out to roughly 0.08 million tonnes of additional exports every year.

However, export value did not follow the same smooth upward path. Export earnings rose from USD 6.73 billion in 2018–19 to a peak of USD 8.09 billion in 2022–23, before falling to USD 7.38 billion in 2023–24. This is an 8.8% decline in value from the previous year, even as export volumes grew by about 2.7%.

India shipped more seafood in 2023–24 but earned less for each kilogram. The average unit value fell from USD 4.66 per kg to USD 4.14 per kg, a drop of over 11% in one year. This is a classic case of volume growth without price support, something farmers and exporters feel directly.

Frozen shrimp dominates, both in volume and value

Frozen shrimp is the backbone of India’s marine exports. In 2023–24, India exported about 716 thousand tonnes of frozen shrimp, which is roughly 40% of the total marine export volume. In value terms, frozen shrimp earned USD 4,881 million, accounting for about 66% of total export earnings.

Frozen fish comes next with around 382 thousand tonnes, but its value contribution is much lower at USD 671 million. This means frozen fish makes up more than one-fifth of export volume, but less than one-tenth of export value.

This gap highlights a key structural feature of Indian seafood exports. Shrimp is a high-value product, while fish, squid, and cuttlefish are largely bulk exports with thinner margins. Even within shrimp, prices fell sharply in 2023–24 due to oversupply from countries like Ecuador and weak demand in major markets.

An interesting anomaly is visible in squid and cuttlefish. Their export quantities rose or stayed stable in recent years, but export value declined. This suggests price pressure rather than lower demand.

Smaller categories show mixed but telling trends

Beyond frozen products, other marine items show sharp year-to-year movement. Chilled items saw the fastest growth, with export volumes rising from 24 thousand tonnes in 2022–23 to 36 thousand tonnes in 2023–24, a jump of nearly 47 percent. Export value also increased from USD 77 million to USD 84 million.

Dried items recorded steady gains. Quantities grew by about 19 percent to 301 thousand tonnes, while export value rose sharply from USD 384 million to USD 496 million, indicating improved price realisation.

In contrast, live items and the “others” category declined. Live item exports fell slightly in both quantity and value, while “others” saw a 17 percent drop in volume and a fall in export value to USD 553 million.

The USA and China are India’s biggest seafood buyers

In 2023–24, India exported marine products to 132 countries, but a handful dominate. The United States alone accounted for about USD 2549 million, or 34.5% of total export earnings. China followed with USD 1445 million, contributing nearly 19%.

Together, the United States and China absorbed more than half of India’s marine export earnings. The European Union, Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Middle East together made up most of the remaining share.

While China imported the largest volume of Indian seafood at over 4.5 lakh tonnes, its value share is much lower than the United States. This shows that China primarily buys lower-value products, whereas the United States imports premium shrimp with higher unit prices.

Why Does It Matter?

Marine exports are a significant source of foreign exchange and support millions of livelihoods along India’s coast. The data shows three clear realities.

First, India is exporting more seafood every year, showing strong production capacity and global integration. Second, export earnings are increasingly vulnerable to global price swings, particularly in shrimp. Third, dependence on a few products and markets makes the sector sensitive to shocks, whether it is inflation in the United States or oversupply from competing countries.

For policymakers, this means diversifying products and markets, not just pushing volumes. For citizens, it is a reminder that what happens in distant supermarkets can shape incomes along India’s coasts.

Key Insights

• Total marine exports (quantity, million tonnes)
  2018–19: 1.39 → 2020–21: 1.15 → 2023–24: 1.78

• Total marine exports (value, billion USD)
  2018–19: 6.73 → 2020–21: 5.96 → 2023–24: 7.38

• Top export item (2023–24)
  Frozen shrimp: ~66% of export value

• Top markets by value (2023–24, million USD)
  USA: 2549, China: 1445, European Union: 1032

(The dip in 2020–21 reflects pandemic-related disruptions to fishing and global trade)