New Delhi: The Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD), organized a technical session titled “Fish Tech for Fishers’ Prosperity: Innovations in Processing and Value Addition” at World Food India 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Focus and Key Highlights
Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to enhance marine product processing through modern infrastructure such as advanced processing plants, cold chains, and smart harbours, the session convened experts, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. Discussions emphasized innovative technologies aimed at:
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Minimizing post-harvest losses
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Enhancing product quality and safety
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Boosting productivity
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Promoting exports in the fisheries sector
Keynote Addresses and Technological Advances
Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, DoF, underscored FishTech’s transformative role in reducing losses, ensuring quality, and driving exports. Highlighting the sector’s importance in providing livelihoods to over 3 crore Indians, he emphasized women’s role in sustaining fisheries and nutritional security.
Dr. B.K. Behera, Chief Executive, NFDB, introduced cutting-edge technologies including Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Biofloc, Aquaponics, inland cage culture clusters, AI-enabled systems, and drone applications for sustainable aquaculture.
Mr. Kari Logason, General Manager at Nautic (Icelandic Naval Architecture firm), shared insights virtually on modern deep-sea fishing vessels and AI-integrated processing systems, expressing interest in potential technological collaborations tailored to India’s needs.
Quality, Safety, and Export Potential
Dr. J.S. Reddy, Additional Director, Export Inspection Council, highlighted the importance of quality standards and a Residue Monitoring Plan to align with international norms.
Dr. Bindu J. and Dr. Geethalakshmi from ICAR-CIFT detailed global innovations in fish processing and packaging, including tuna traceability, advanced chilling, automation, sustainable materials, smart sensors, and exploring export potential in freshwater fisheries, while identifying infrastructure gaps and the need for more value addition.
Sustainability and Market Transformation
The session stressed integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in fisheries to support the vision of Viksit Bharat and global sustainability goals. Discussions called for strengthening cold chain infrastructure, processing facilities, and digital market access under “Blue Revolution 2.0.” Promoting value-added seafood from underutilized species was emphasized to reduce losses and increase export revenues.
Conclusion
FishTech at World Food India 2025 highlighted technological innovations and strategic interventions collectively aiming to enhance fishers’ prosperity, sustainability, and India’s position in the global fisheries market.
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Source: PIB
