PMMSY: Doubling Fishermen's Income Through Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
The Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, issued a detailed update on the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), highlighting its implementation progress and impact on fishermen's income.
PMMSY addresses critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure, value chain modernisation, traceability, and fishers' welfare.
As of July 2025, the government had approved fisheries development projects totalling over ₹21,274 crore under PMMSY.
The scheme aims to double the income of fish farmers and fishers — a target set within the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
PMMSY was launched in September 2020 with the vision of "Sustainable, Responsible, Inclusive and Equitable Development of Fisheries Sector." It is a flagship scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package with a total investment of ₹20,050 crore for FY2021-22 to FY2024-25, subsequently extended to FY2025-26. The scheme operates across all states and union territories, with Central assistance, state share, and beneficiary contributions. It targets: doubling fish exports to ₹1 lakh crore, increasing fish production to 22 million metric tonnes (MMT), creating 55 lakh additional employment, and doubling fishers' and fish farmers' incomes.
PMMSY is structured to address the full fisheries value chain — from hatcheries and feed to cold storage and market linkage — which is the reason income doubling is the stated outcome: improving productivity AND reducing losses at multiple points in the chain.
India's Fisheries Sector: Economic Significance
India is the world's third-largest fish-producing country and second-largest in aquaculture. The fisheries sector contributes approximately 1.24% to India's GDP and over 7% to agricultural GDP. India has a coastline of 8,118 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 2 million sq. km — among the world's largest. Fish and fishery products are India's second-largest agricultural export item after rice. Approximately 2.8 crore people are directly engaged in fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods.
Given the sector's scale (2.8 crore livelihoods), the income-doubling target under PMMSY is not merely economic — it is a livelihood security intervention for one of India's most economically vulnerable communities, concentrated in coastal states.
Blue Economy and India's Marine Resource Framework
The "blue economy" refers to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and ocean ecosystem health. India's Blue Economy Policy framework (2021 draft; formulation ongoing) envisions leveraging India's 8,118 km coastline and 2 million sq. km EEZ for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, renewable ocean energy, seabed mining, and maritime transport. The EEZ Rules 2025 (notified November 2025) specifically opened India's EEZ to regulated deep-sea fishing — complementing PMMSY's goals.
Key Details
- India's coastline: 8,118 km (9 coastal states + 4 UTs).
- India's EEZ: 2.02 million sq. km (under UNCLOS, 200 nautical miles from baselines).
- Continental shelf: 0.53 million sq. km (additional seabed rights beyond EEZ).
- Blue Economy Policy: draft released 2021; aims for 4-5% contribution of ocean economy to national GDP.
- Deep-sea mining: India holds Pioneer Investor status with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for polymetallic nodule exploration in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
- Sagarmala Programme (2015): focuses on port-led development, including fisheries infrastructure.
PMMSY and the EEZ Rules 2025 together form the operational and regulatory architecture of India's blue economy strategy for the fisheries sector — PMMSY provides incentives and infrastructure, while the EEZ Rules provide the legal framework for access to offshore marine resources.
- PMMSY launched: September 10, 2020; total investment ₹20,050 crore (FY21-26)
- Projects approved under PMMSY as of July 2025: over ₹21,274 crore
- Fish production target: 22 MMT (India's FY24 production: ~17.5 MMT)
- Fish export target: ₹1 lakh crore
- Additional employment target: 55 lakh jobs
- Post-harvest loss reduction: 20-25% → 10%
- Income doubling target: for fish farmers and fishers
- India's fish exports (2023-24): ~₹46,000 crore; shrimp >50% by value
- People engaged in fisheries: ~2.8 crore directly
- India's EEZ: 2.02 million sq. km; coastline: 8,118 km