Bhopal, October 22, 2026: The Department of Fisheries, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD), Government of India, will hold the Fisheries Investors & Exporters Conclave 2026 in Bhopal on 23 October.
The Conclave aims to strengthen links between inland fisheries production and investment, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, value addition and export markets. It seeks to move the sector from a production-led approach to an integrated value-chain model, improving market access and returns for fishermen and fish farmers.
The event will bring together investors, exporters, fishers, more than 1,000 fish farmers from across Madhya Pradesh, fisheries cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs), entrepreneurs, start-ups, processors, financial institutions and research organisations. Discussions will focus on enterprise development, access to finance, market linkages and collaboration across the inland fisheries value chain, with particular emphasis on integrating inland States into the national fisheries investment and export ecosystem.
A key highlight will be the release of the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guidelines, 2026. Madhya Pradesh has been notified by the Centre as a Reservoir Fisheries Cluster. The guidelines are intended to facilitate investment across the fisheries value chain, including hatcheries, fish seed and feed, reservoir and cage fisheries, aquatic animal health, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, logistics, value addition and market development.
The programme will also see the release of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on the export potential of inland States and the virtual inauguration of Integrated Cage Culture Units. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh will hand over the Administrative Approval for the Integrated Development of Reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars in Madhya Pradesh. These initiatives are expected to support investment in inland fisheries, promote productive use of water resources and encourage enterprise development.
The Conclave comes as India’s fisheries sector continues to expand, with a growing contribution to food security, livelihoods and export earnings. India’s fish production reached 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, of which 151.60 lakh tonnes came from inland fisheries, nearly three-fourths of the total. India’s seafood exports were valued at ₹73,890 crore in 2025–26. These figures highlight the importance of strengthening infrastructure, processing capabilities and market linkages to realise the potential of inland fisheries.
Madhya Pradesh, with nearly 4.50 lakh hectares of water area, offers considerable potential for inland fisheries development. The Conclave seeks to connect the State’s production base, along with that of other inland States, with investment, processing, value addition, and domestic and export markets.
The Conclave will be graced by Dr. Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj; Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj; and Shri Narayan Singh Pawar, Minister, Department of Fisherman Welfare and Fisheries Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Through stakeholder engagement and deliberations on investment and market development, the Conclave seeks to promote more competitive, market-oriented inland fisheries value chains, expand opportunities for enterprises and exporters, and strengthen livelihoods and incomes for fishermen and fish farmers.
