MANGALURU: Karnataka recorded one of the sharpest increases in seafood exports in the country during 2025-26, with export value jumping 56.1% to Rs 5,371.85 crore from Rs 3,440.57 crore in 2024-25, significantly outpacing the national growth rate of 18.4%.
Karnataka also improved its ranking among seafood-exporting states, climbing from sixth in 2024-25 to fifth in 2025-26, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha recently.
India’s seafood exports touched an all-time high of Rs 73,890.46 crore in 2025-26, up from Rs 62,408.45 crore in the previous financial year. Export volume also rose by 16.1%, increasing from 16.98 lakh tonne to 19.72 lakh tonne.
Among the southern states, Andhra Pradesh retained its position as the country’s largest seafood exporter, with exports rising 11.9% to Rs 23,765.11 crore.
Kerala registered exports worth Rs 8,466.77 crore, a growth of 22%, while Tamil Nadu recorded Rs 7,660.48 crore, up 8.9% over the previous year. Telangana, though a relatively small exporter, posted exports worth Rs 715.02 crore, an increase of 16.2%.
Karnataka also recorded the highest percentage growth among the major southern seafood-exporting states. Export volume increased to 3,37,239 tonne in 2025-26 from 2,42,143 tonne in 2024-25, a sharp rise of 39.3%.
Karnataka’s exports had earlier surged from 1,20,427 tonne worth Rs 1,962.19 crore in 2021-22 to 3,12,347 tonne valued at Rs 4,737.23 crore in 2022-23, before witnessing a marginal dip in quantity to 3,01,183 tonne in 2023-24, although export value remained almost unchanged at Rs 4,785.05 crore.
Exports declined considerably in 2024-25 before rebounding strongly in 2025-26, reflecting a recovery in both volume and earnings.
Marine product exports recorded growth across almost all major categories in 2025-26 in the country compared to the previous year, with frozen shrimp continuing to dominate the export basket. Frozen shrimp exports increased from 7.42 lakh tonne to 7.93 lakh tonne, while export value rose sharply by 13.2% from Rs 43,334.25 crore to Rs 49,037.93 crore.
Among other categories, dried items registered the highest growth, with quantity surging by over 62% to 4.10 lakh tonne and value jumping nearly 78% to Rs 5,079.09 crore.