Amit Shah inaugurates Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai

Amit Shah

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday inaugurated the India Maritime Week highlighting India’s growing leadership in the global maritime ecosystem, drive strategic dialogues, and unlock transformative investment investment opportunities worth over USD 82 billion across the sector and distribute the state-of-the-art deep-sea fishing vessels underscoring the importance of blue economy.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol were present on the occasion.

The vessels are being provided under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with each unit costing Rs 1.2 crore, according to an official statement. The initiative is jointly funded by the Maharashtra government, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), and the Union Department of Fisheries.

The programme aims to modernise India's marine fisheries sector and enhance deep-sea fishing capacity through cooperative societies and Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs).

A Joint Working Group has been constituted by the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Cooperatives to accelerate cooperative-led deep-sea fishing initiatives.

India's marine fisheries sector has traditionally operated on a modest scale, with fishermen using conventional vessels that typically venture only 40-60 nautical miles from the coastline. This has limited both catch volumes and economic returns.

The new vessels are expected to enable fisheries cooperatives to tap into India's Exclusive Economic Zone and high seas, particularly around Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The initiative could unlock opportunities in high-value fisheries such as tuna, potentially boosting seafood exports and strengthening coastal livelihoods, the statement added.

The government has positioned the programme as part of its push towards self-reliance and strengthening the Blue Economy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.