The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, will organize the second edition of the National Seafood Skill Olympiad from July 1 to 3, 2026 as part of Seafood Expo Bharat 2026. The competition aims to bring together skilled seafood processing professionals from across India to showcase their expertise in preparing value-added seafood products, with objectives to promote innovation, enhance quality standards, recognize industry talent, and strengthen workforce development in India's seafood processing sector.
As preparation for the Olympiad, MPEDA conducted an extensive nationwide capacity-building program comprising 50 Seafood Value Addition Training Programs that trained more than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals. The training focused on high-demand international market products including breaded squid rings, Nobashi (stretched shrimp), breaded butterfly shrimp, cooked Peeled, Deveined, Tail-On (PDTO) shrimp, marinated shrimp skewers, and fish fillets. Preliminary skill competitions were conducted after each training program, with the best performers shortlisted for State-Level Skill Olympiads across coastal states, followed by Regional Skill Olympiads in Mumbai (West Coast) and Vijayawada (East Coast).
The top 10 performers from regional competitions have qualified for the National Seafood Skill Olympiad Grand Finale, where they will demonstrate technical expertise before an industry and academic jury. Winners will receive medals, certificates and cash prizes of ₹1,00,000 (first prize), ₹75,000 (second prize), ₹50,000 (third prize), and ₹25,000 (fourth consolation prize). The event will be attended by senior central and state government officials, seafood exporters, international buyers, industry leaders, and technical experts.
The award-winning value-added seafood products will be showcased at the Skill Olympiad Pavilion, which will also feature live demonstrations and tasting sessions of export-oriented products developed through MPEDA's training programs. Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 itself will feature over 325 exhibition stalls across seafood processing, aquaculture, packaging machinery, logistics, and government segments, with nearly 5,000 domestic and international stakeholders expected to participate in business meetings and technical sessions.
India's seafood exports reached a record USD 8.45 billion during FY 2025-26, maintaining the country's position as a leading global seafood exporter. The country currently has 670 approved seafood processing units with combined processing capacity exceeding 40,000 metric tonnes per day, of which 127 units manufacture value-added products that contribute nearly 10% (USD 0.84 billion) of total seafood exports. India has set an ambitious target to increase the share of value-added products to 25% of total seafood exports by 2030, with MPEDA implementing various schemes and capacity-building initiatives to promote product innovation, strengthen processing infrastructure, develop skilled workforce, and enhance quality standards awareness.