Proceedings of the 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit 2026

Singh, Rajeev and Ghosh, Arup and Sobhana, K S and Prasad, Kamalesh and Johnson, B and Khandelwal, Ashish and Dey, Sushanjit and Mukherjee, Ankur and Biju Sam, K (2026) Proceedings of the 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit 2026. Other. ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi.

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Abstract

The Government of India has identified seaweed cultivation and value addition as a priority area under the blue economy, owing to its potential for livelihood generation, climate resilience, nutritional security, and industrial applications. The Government has allocated a total budget of Rs. 640 crores under the PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana) for seaweed cultivation in India from 2020 to 2025. The Government of India has identified and prioritized seaweed resources as critical to the blue economy growth and has initiated various initiatives such as seed banks, seaweed parks / clusters / CoE, improved seaweed germplasm, climate resilient village and farming models to expand and strengthen the seaweed production ecosystem and value chain. In this context, the 7th India International Seaweed Expo and Summit was organised on 29th & 30th January 2026, at ICARCMFRI, Kochi to review sectoral progress, deliberate on key challenges, and outline a future course of action for the structured development of the seaweed sector in India. The Summit witnessed participation from senior officials of the Government of India and State Governments, national research institutions, financial institutions, industry representatives, startups, international experts, and coastal community stakeholders. Deliberations highlighted that despite India’s long coastline, favourable agro-climatic conditions, and decades of scientific research, current seaweed production remains far below national potential. While important progress has been made through policy interventions under PMMSY, establishment of centres of excellence, seaweed clusters, and seaweed parks, the sector continues to face challenges related to scale, seed availability, species diversification, product development, regulatory clarity, financing, and value-chain integration. The Summit noted with emphasis that the last 7–8 years have marked a clear inflection point in the sector, driven by strong policy recognition, inter-ministerial coordination, and increased industry participation. Institutions such as ICAR–CMFRI, CSIR–CSMCRI, ICAR– CIFT, NFDB, and state fisheries departments have laid a robust scientific and institutional foundation. Industry-led innovations in mechanised and offshore cultivation, bio-stimulants, functional foods, nutra/pharma/cosmeceuticals, energy, industrial bioproducts and their application in marine, agriculture, medical sector were recognised as critical enablers for scaling up the sector in the future. Discussions across technical and policy sessions converged on the need to move decisively from pilots and fragmented initiatives toward coordinated, time-bound, and outcome-oriented implementation, with clear roles across Government, research institutions, industry, financial agencies, and coastal communities.

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