Last week, India signed significant deals with the UK and Maldives that aim to enhance trade, maritime security, and bilateral ties between the countries.
The India-UK comprehensive trade agreement puts Indian marine products on par with Vietnam and Singapore, which already benefit from the United Kingdom-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UK-VFTA) and UK-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (UK-SFTA), respectively, informed the fisheries ministry, as the focus has now been put on high-value products from India, including shrimp and value-added seafood goods.
With the trade deal, the industry estimates a 70 per cent surge in marine exports to the UK in the coming years, the ministry said in a statement.
Also Read: India-UK ink landmark trade deal
India’s seafood sector has invested heavily in increasing the country’s production capacity by inducting skilled workforce, improved traceability, and enhanced quality standards in recent years, all of which will be leveraged by Indian companies to capture a larger share of the UK seafood market, the statement informed.
Improved and diversified market access to the UK and Maldives also positions India as a strong contender and global leader in sustainable marine trade while reducing its dependence on traditional markets, such as the United States and China.
India's total seafood exports in 2024-25 reached ₹60,523 crore, amounting to 1.78 million tonnes. Marine exports to the UK, meanwhile, were valued at only ₹879 crore. Since India’s share in the UK’s USD 5.4 billion seafood import market is just 2.25 per cent, there is now potential to increase it substantially.
India and the Maldives also signed a fisheries cooperation agreement that will provide India with enhanced access to deep-sea fisheries resources in the strategically important Indian Ocean region.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed on Friday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the Maldives, is one of six bilateral agreements exchanged between the two countries.
The deal between India’s Department of Fisheries and the Maldives' Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources will also help the island nation strengthen sustainable tuna and deep-sea fisheries, aquaculture and resource management, and foster fisheries-based eco-tourism, an official statement said.
The agreement’s key areas of cooperation include value chain development, mariculture advancement, trade facilitation, and capacity building within the fisheries sector.
The partnership will help Maldives scale up fish processing capabilities by investing in cold storage infrastructure and strengthening aquaculture through hatchery development, improved production efficiency, and diversification of cultured species.
The MoU will also facilitate training and knowledge-exchange programmes focused on aquatic animal health, biosecurity screening, aquaculture farm management, and technical fields, including refrigeration and marine engineering.
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