MPEDA Concludes Second National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition at Seafood Expo Bharat 2026

New Delhi, Jul 2 (KNN) The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) concluded the second edition of the National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition during Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 in Kochi, with P. Surya Bhaskar of Devi Fisheries Ltd., Andhra Pradesh, winning the national-level competition.

Muthu Kumaran of Theva & Co., Tamil Nadu, secured second place, while Sagarika Sardar of SS Seafoods Pvt. Ltd., West Bengal, and Barasarani Jena of Sabri Food Products Pvt. Ltd., Odisha, finished third and fourth, respectively. The winners received cash prizes ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh, along with medals and certificates.

The competition brought together ten finalists selected through regional rounds held in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam after MPEDA conducted 50 seafood value addition training programmes that trained more than 2,500 seafood processing professionals across India's east and west coasts.

During the grand finale, participants prepared six export-oriented value-added seafood products, including Nobashi shrimp, breaded butterfly shrimp, cooked peeled deveined tail-on (PDTO) shrimp, marinated shrimp skewers, breaded squid rings and fish fillets. 

Entries were evaluated on technical skills, hygiene, precision, presentation and product quality by a panel of experts from research institutions and the seafood industry.

According to MPEDA, the initiative aims to strengthen workforce skills, improve value addition in seafood processing and support the competitiveness of India's seafood exports. 

The award-winning products were also showcased at the Skill Olympiad Pavilion during Seafood Expo Bharat 2026.

(KNN Bureau)