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What Does Union Budget 2026-27 Deliver for India’s Fisheries Sector?

INTRODUCTION

The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, introduces a series of fiscal and policy measures aimed at strengthening India’s fisheries sector within the broader framework of agriculture, allied activities, and coastal and inland livelihoods. With a record allocation of ₹2,761.80 crore, including ₹2,530 crore for scheme-based interventions, the sector has received its highest-ever annual budgetary support. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) continues as the central pillar of government intervention.

The Budget positions fisheries not only as a source of food production but as a driver of rural diversification, income generation, and export growth within India’s evolving blue economy strategy. Key measures include duty-free treatment for fish caught by Indian vessels in the EEZ and on the high seas, regulatory facilitation of overseas landings as exports, higher duty-free limits for value-added seafood processing, and the integration of inland reservoirs into organised production systems. Greater emphasis on FFPOs, start-ups, and women-led enterprises signals an effort to strengthen institutional participation across the value chain.

This webinar will discuss and analyse the policy provisions introduced under the Union Budget 2026-27 for the fisheries sector, with particular emphasis on the objectives shaping these measures, which carry important implications for fishing communities, micro and small enterprises, and allied actors across coastal and inland regions. While the reforms seek to improve market access, encourage value addition, and support livelihood diversification, their outcomes will depend on implementation capacity, infrastructure readiness, and the ability of local producer groups to engage with new regulatory and market frameworks. Within this context, this webinar will examine what the Union Budget 2026-27 has delivered for the fisheries sector, assess its likely impacts on stakeholders, and consider how policy and market developments may shape the sector in the near and medium term.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

The Union Budget 2026-27 represents a significant moment for India’s fisheries sector. With a record allocation of ₹2,761.80 crore, fisheries are positioned not only as a contributor to food security, but as a driver of rural diversification, export competitiveness, and India’s expanding blue economy vision.

The discussion will focus on the following questions:

• What are the most consequential fisheries provisions in Budget 2026-27, and do they reflect a shift in governance priorities?
• How viable is the plan to develop inland reservoirs as fisheries hubs, given institutional and sustainability constraints?
• What implications will duty-free treatment for EEZ and high seas catches have for marine fisheries, especially for small-scale versus industrial operators?
• Which segments of the value chain are likely to benefit most from export and value-addition incentives, and how accessible are these opportunities to small producers and FFPOs?
• Can FFPOs, start-ups, and women-led enterprises meaningfully strengthen market access and reduce income volatility?
• What implementation and regulatory challenges could shape outcomes in the near and medium term?
• Does the record allocation signal policy consolidation or a structural shift in sectoral priorities?

Panellists

Dr. B. Meenakumari

Former Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority, & Former Deputy Director General (FS), Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Dr. B. Meenakumari is formerly the Chairperson of National Biodiversity Authority,  Chennai under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. She was  Deputy Director General (Fisheries) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR), New Delhi prior to joining NBA. She is the first woman scientist to occupy  this prestigious position as DDG in ICAR. Earlier to this, Dr.Meenakumari, who has  more than 38 years of service in ICAR, was the Director of Central Institute of  Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Cochin. Before becoming the  Director of CIFT, she was the Head of Division of Fishing Technology at CIFT and  served as Scientist, Senior Scientist and Principal Scientist in the same institute.  Her areas of research includes development of newer fishing gear for coastal and  deep sea fishing, conservation of fishery resources, upgradation of gear systems for  reservoirs and responsible fishing, introduction of ecofriendly fishing methods,  remote sensing and validation of PFZ, pollution monitoring, environment impact  assessment, marine corrosion and bio–fouling. In all the research programmes and  projects handled by her, gender mainstreaming was an inevitable component. She is  the recipient of prestigious awards like Young Scientist Award of Kerala Science &  Technology, Women and Technology Innovation Award, Panjab Rao Deshmukh  Agricultural Scientist Award, VASVIK Award, Marie Curie Mahila Vijnana Puraskar,  Dr.M.S.Randhawa Memorial Award and Society of Fisheries Technologist Award 2015. She has been conferred D.Sc by Vidyasagar University, West Bengal for her  study on the ‘Innovations in Fishing Technology’. Currently she is pursuing initiatives in societal applications  in fisheries research and committed to conservation of the bioresources and its  sustainable use in the country. 

Dr Naveen Namboothri

Trustee and Programme Head, Dakshin Foundation

Naveen  Namboothri is a founder trustee at Dakshin. He heads Dakshin’s Sustainable Fisheries and Livelihoods programme. Trained as a marine biologist, he has worked in diverse coastal and marine systems across India particularly focusing on its island systems, Naveen’s research interests range from the natural history of marine organisms to understanding the interconnectedness between societies and ecosystems. He oversees the establishment and implementation of several fisheries management and marine conservation projects at Dakshin’s field sites such as the community-led fisheries management in the Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and  Palk Bay (Tamil Nadu). He also oversees the long-term monitoring of coral reef ecosystems in the Andamans. 

He has served on the editorial board of Current Science and was an invited member of the Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology Task Force of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

Moderator

Kalyani S K

Associate, Research & Programs (Coastal Studies and International Relations)

Kalyani S K is an Associate, Research & Programs (Coastal Studies and International Relations) at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi, Kerala. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Loyola College and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Teresa’s College.

Her research focuses on coastal governance, maritime security, blue economy policy, shipping and port-led development, fisheries governance, climate diplomacy, and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region. She has conceptualised and coordinated international conferences, discussions, and webinars, particularly on maritime affairs, Indian Ocean geopolitics, and coastal sustainability. She has collaborated with think tanks, government agencies, the United Nations Human Rights Council, academic institutions, and sectoral stakeholders, contributing to research outputs, policy dialogues, and strategic engagements in the coastal and maritime domain.

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