Chennai: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under the Union ministry of commerce and industry, is in discussions with Quikjet Cargo Airlines to ferry tuna from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Bengaluru. The move is part of a strategy to promote tuna exports from the islands, which are estimated to have rich fishery resources, particularly tuna and other high-value species, with a potential of around 60,000 metric tonnes.MPEDA chairman P Jawahar said the fisheries department of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has already sought the authority’s technical expertise and support in formulating an export strategy for tuna. “There is a proposal from Bengaluru-headquartered Quikjet Cargo Airlines, which is interested in flying tuna from the Andamans to Bengaluru. Bengaluru is a major gateway for the export of perishables due to its strong forward and backward linkages, as well as connectivity to airports across the world. The airline has already evinced interest in ferrying fresh tuna from Andaman waters,” he told TOI in an interview on the sidelines of the three-day Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 organised in Chennai.
P Jawahar, chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
Private entrepreneurs are also showing interest in carrying out primary processing of tuna on board fishing vessels to convert it into ‘sashimi-grade’ fish. “At present, it does not fetch a high price. One kilogram of Indian tuna fetches anywhere between $1.5 and $2 in the international market. If we can make it sashimi grade, we will be getting close to $10 per kilogram. Its value increases fivefold when it is subjected to value addition, provided the tuna receives the right treatment immediately after it is caught,” he said.MPEDA is also launching two tuna missions in Visakhapatnam and the Andamans. “The pilot initiative is going to give us a lot of feedback for scaling up tuna operations,” he added.The development comes against the backdrop of India setting a target of increasing seafood exports to $30 billion by FY30 from $8.5 billion in FY26. Jawahar underlined that the focus will be on scaling up seafood exports and increasing the share of ready-to-cook and value-added products, which currently account for only 13% of the country’s seafood export basket.
