INDIA BECAME THE SECOND LARGEST FISH PRODUCER IN THE WORLD
New Delhi, Sep 10, 2025 : Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has brought about an impressive transformation in the objective of achieving record fish production of 195 lakh tonnes in five years, creation of 58 lakh livelihoods, empowerment of 99,018 women and creation of climate-resilient, market-ready value chains. The scheme has strengthened India's role in global fisheries while ensuring inclusive growth, livelihood opportunities and technological transformation across the sector.
Announcement of PMMSY in 2019-20
Recognizing the huge growth opportunity in the fisheries sector and the need for a dedicated vision, the Government announced PMMSY in Union Budget 2019-20 to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, use of new technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization of value chain, traceability and welfare of fishermen. It was approved by the Union Cabinet on 20 May 2020 as a landmark initiative to usher in a “Blue Revolution” in India’s fisheries sector.
The scheme has been extended till 2025-26:
The scheme was formally launched by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on September 10, 2020 with the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) as the nodal agency to implement training, awareness and capacity building programmes. The scheme was approved with a total investment of Rs 20,050 crore. This includes Rs 9,407 crore from the Central Government, Rs 4,880 crore from the State Governments and Rs 5,763 crore as beneficiary contribution for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
The scheme has now been extended up to 2025-26. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has agreed to extend PMMSY up to FY 2025-26 as per the existing scheme design and funding modalities. As on 22nd July 2025, the Department of Fisheries has approved fisheries development projects worth Rs 21,274.16 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. The approval is based on the proposals received from the State Governments, Union Territories and various implementing agencies. The Centre's share of the sanctioned amount is Rs 9,189.79 crore. So far, Rs 5,587.57 crore has been released to various States, Union Territories and other agencies for implementation of these projects.
Milestones and Achievements
PMMSY has brought about a significant transformation in India's fisheries sector, promoting growth, sustainability and inclusiveness.
India achieved a record fish production of 195 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, a sharp increase from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20.
India has emerged as the second largest fish producer in the world. It contributes about 8 per cent to global fish production.
There has been a tremendous increase in fisheries exports. It has increased from Rs 46,662.85 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 60,524.89 crore in 2023-24, strengthening India's position in the global seafood market.
Major Initiatives under PMMSY:
Empowering Women in Fisheries- PMMSY promotes women's participation in fisheries by providing up to 60 per cent of the total project cost as financial assistance (up to Rs 1.5 crore/project) under beneficiary-oriented activities and entrepreneurial model. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, proposals worth Rs 4,061.96 crore were approved with 99,018 women. States have undertaken extensive training, awareness and capacity building initiatives along with dedicated financial assistance to women beneficiaries.
Climate Resilient through Technology- Under PMMSY, Department of Fisheries has identified 100 coastal fishermen villages as Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages (CRCFVs) to make them climate resilient and economically robust. Use of technology has been enhanced with the sanctioning of 52,058 floating cages, 22,057 Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) and Biofloc units and raceways and installation of 1,525 sea cages for fish in reservoirs with a total investment of Rs 3,040.87 crore.
Biofloc Technology- Biofloc technology is a sustainable fish farming method that recycles nutrients in water using beneficial microbes. These microbes form clumps called bioflocs that act as natural food and also help clean the water. This method requires little or no water changes making it ideal for large-scale fish farming with minimal resources. Apart from being environmentally friendly, it also increases productivity. It is named “green soup” or “heterotrophic pond” in the field of fish farming.
What the beneficiaries have to do to apply for government assistance under this scheme-
Prepare a detailed project report which includes-
•Species of fish to be reared
•Capital and recurring costs
•Proof of ownership of the land or registered lease for at least seven years
•Employment and production gains
•Details of time required for implementation
•Submit the project report along with required documents to the District Fisheries Office for further processing.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries can avail government assistance as follows-
For the ponds
• An individual can avail assistance for up to 2 units of 0.1 hectare each
• Groups or societies can avail assistance for up to 2 units of 0.1 hectare each. There is a limit of 20 units of 0.1 hectare each per group as per the number of members of the group/society
For tanks
• An individual can avail assistance for one large, one medium or one small tank setup
• A group or society can avail assistance for 2 large, 3 medium or 4 small tank setups
For Fisherman Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), the implementation details and maximum area limit are decided by the concerned authority. To strengthen value chains and reduce post-harvest losses, PMMSY has approved a comprehensive infrastructure-
•Total outlay of Rs. 3281.31 crore for 58 fishing harbours and landing centres
•Total Outlay- Rs.1568.11 crore for 734 ice plants/cold storages, 21 modern wholesale fish markets (including 3 smart markets), 192 fish retail markets, 6,410 fish kiosks, 134 value added enterprise units
•27,297 fish transportation units after harvesting and 5 e-platforms for digital fish trade
•Strengthening the post-harvest and marketing environment
Additionally, 2,195 fishery cooperatives have been supported as Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) with a project outlay of Rs 544.85 crore to create sustainable value chains for better market linkages, bargaining power and higher returns.
At the same time, to strengthen capacity and efficiency in the fisheries value chain, the government approved the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Saha Yojana (PM-MKSSY) as a central sector sub-scheme of PAMSY on 8 February 2024. The scheme is being implemented in all states and union territories with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore for four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27. PM-MKSSY focuses on formalization of the fisheries sector, encouraging aquaculture insurance, improving value chain efficiency and adopting safety and quality systems for safe fish production.
An amount of Rs 11.84 crore has already been sanctioned under the scheme to support its early implementation by April 2025.
Digital Transformation through NFDP Portal
The National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) was launched on 11 September 2024 as a part of PM-MKSSY. It provides a single-window system for availing the benefits of the scheme. The NFDP helps beneficiaries to access institutional credit, fisheries insurance, traceability systems and performance-linked incentives. It also helps in strengthening fisheries cooperatives and provides training and capacity building opportunities. As of 8 September 2025, the portal has had over 2.7 million registrations.