When Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rose in the Lok Sabha to present the Union Budget 2026–27, one message rang clear across India’s 11,000-km coastline and deep into its inland waters – the people who feed the nation from rivers, reservoirs and seas are finally getting the scale of support they deserve.
This year’s fisheries allocation isn’t just another budget line. It is the highest ever annual budgetary support for the sector – a massive ₹2,761.80 crore. Out of this, ₹2,530 crore is directed toward scheme-based interventions, meaning the money is meant to move beyond files and actually reach fishers and fish farmers on the ground.
At the heart of this push remains the Pradhan Mantei Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an allocation of ₹2,500 crore. If Indian fisheries have transformed over the last few years, PMMSY is one of the principal reasons why. It has shifted the sector from subsistence survival to structured, value-driven enterprise.
From Catch to Commerce: Building the Full Value Chain
One of the most forward-looking announcements in the Budget is the integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars. This isn’t merely about stocking more fish. It’s about strengthening the entire fisheries value chain – from production to processing to market access.
Under Mission Amrit Sarovar, 68,827 Amrit Sarovars have already been developed across the country, with over 1,200 linked to fisheries. India’s inland water bodies – covering roughly 31.5 lakh hectares – are now being treated as engines of rural livelihoods, not just water storage structures.
This move is particularly significant for inland communities that have long remained outside the spotlight compared to marine fisheries. By linking reservoirs to fish production, the government is simultaneously addressing water conservation, nutrition, and livelihoods.
Startups, Women, and Fish FPOs: The New Fisheries Economy
The Budget recognises that the future of fisheries lies not only in nets and boats but in entrepreneurship and organisation.
About 200 fisheries start-ups will be supported under this push, bringing in technology, cold chain solutions, digital marketplaces, and traceability systems. This is the kind of innovation that can reduce post-harvest losses – one of the biggest hidden drains on fisher incomes.
Even more importantly, women-led groups and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are being integrated into the value chain. For decades, women have been the invisible backbone of post-harvest handling, drying, sorting and selling fish. Now, policy is finally catching up with reality.
The focus on 34 production and processing clusters signals a shift toward cluster-based efficiency – where logistics, processing, packaging, and export linkages work together instead of in isolation.
Taking Indian Fish to Global Waters
Perhaps the boldest reform comes in the form of export-oriented measures. Indian vessels fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and high seas will now enjoy duty-free treatment, and fish landed in foreign ports will be treated as exports.
This single move could dramatically change income prospects for deep-sea fishers, provided safeguards are properly implemented to prevent misuse. It shows that India is finally thinking like a serious maritime nation.
With an EEZ of nearly 24 lakh square kilometres, India has long underutilised its marine potential. The newly notified sustainability rules for fishing in the EEZ and high seas show that the government is attempting to balance economic ambition with ecological responsibility.
Boosting Seafood Exports: Competing with the Best
India’s seafood exporters also received a competitive boost. The limit for duty-free import of specified inputs used in seafood processing has been raised from 1% to 3%.
This might sound technical, but its impact is very real. It reduces input costs and helps exporters meet the strict quality and food safety standards demanded by global markets like the European Union, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
In a world where food exports are increasingly judged on traceability, hygiene, and sustainability, this move helps Indian processors stay in the game – and win.
A Sunrise Sector That Is Delivering
Let’s step back and look at the numbers.
Since 2014–15, fisheries has grown at an average annual rate of nearly 8% – the highest among agriculture and allied sectors. Fish production has more than doubled in a decade. Inland fisheries alone have grown by 147%. Seafood exports have doubled. Shrimp production has exploded by nearly 300%.
These are not minor gains. They are signs of a sector that has moved from the margins to the mainstream of India’s growth story.
The creation of a dedicated Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in 2019 was a turning point. Since 2015, cumulative investments of over ₹39,000 crore through various schemes have laid the groundwork. Budget 2026 now builds on that foundation with sharper focus and bigger scale.
Budgets announce intent. Implementation delivers change.
If these funds translate into functional cold chains, modern harbours, better boats, quality seed, affordable feed, insurance coverage, and direct market linkages – then millions of fishers and fish farmers will see real income growth.
If start-ups actually solve supply chain problems and FPOs gain real bargaining power, then the sector’s transformation will be irreversible.
India’s fisheries story is no longer about survival. It is about value addition, exports, entrepreneurship, and dignity of livelihoods.
For too long, the men and women who venture into rivers and seas at dawn remained politically silent and economically vulnerable. Budget 2026 sends a strong signal that they are finally being recognised as central players in India’s blue economy.
And that is not just good policy.That is long overdue justice.
