Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu asserted that the future belongs to the blue economy, promising to transform Andhra Pradesh into the epicenter of India’s maritime and aquaculture growth. Speaking as the chief guest at the National Workshop on Seafood Exports held in Visakhapatnam, Naidu unveiled his government’s grand vision for the aqua sector. He emphasized that the industry plays a pivotal role in achieving the goals of “Viksit Bharat” and called for the creation of a global brand identity under the slogan ‘Andhra Shrimp.. India Seafood’.
To ensure the comprehensive development of the sector, the Chief Minister announced a mega plan to build an ‘Aqua Corridor’ connecting Amaravati, Bhimavaram, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam, and Nellore. This corridor will house an integrated ecosystem driven by research, innovation, startups, and modern technology with an aim to achieve maximum production at minimal cost. Naidu stated that the government would function on a ‘Pond to Port, Farmer to Global Consumer’ policy, and promised to allot land within 15 days for setting up the regional office of the Union Fisheries Department.
Highlighting the state’s dominant position, Naidu backed his statements with key statistics, noting that Andhra Pradesh accounts for 28 percent of India’s total fish production and a massive 66 percent of shrimp production. Furthermore, the state contributes 38 percent of the country’s seafood export revenues, generating over Rs 28,000 crores. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for driving India towards global prominence, Naidu also shared a personal note, mentioning that he cycled to the venue to promote a healthy lifestyle, and urged citizens to include protein-rich aqua products in their regular diet.
