Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday, 5 June announced that the state government will develop an integrated Aqua Corridor connecting Amaravati, Bhimavaram, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam, and Nellore. The announcement was made at a national workshop on seafood exports held in Visakhapatnam, positioning Andhra Pradesh as the anchor of India's emerging blue economy strategy.

What the Aqua Corridor Involves

The proposed corridor is designed to integrate research, innovation, startups, and advanced technologies across the aqua sector, with the stated goal of boosting productivity while reducing costs. Naidu described the initiative as part of a broader commitment to building a 'comprehensive ecosystem' for aquaculture development and making Andhra Pradesh the hub of India's blue economy.

Alongside the corridor announcement, the Chief Minister launched the 'Andhra Shrimp, India Seafood' branding initiative, aimed at raising the global visibility of Indian seafood products in international markets.

Andhra Pradesh's Dominance in India's Seafood Sector

Naidu underscored the state's commanding position in India's aqua industry. Andhra Pradesh accounts for 28% of India's total fish production, 66% of its shrimp output, and nearly 38% of the country's seafood export earnings. The state currently produces approximately 19.7 million tonnes of seafood annually and exports seafood worth more than ₹28,000 crore every year.

He noted, however, that only about 12% of seafood production currently undergoes processing — a gap he identified as a key area requiring greater investment and infrastructure development.

Central Government Support and Key Announcements

The workshop brought together Union Ministers from four departments on a single platform — a convergence the Chief Minister called a positive development. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, and Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan were among those present.

Naidu welcomed Rajiv Ranjan Singh's announcement of ₹72 crore for the modernisation of Kakinada Port. He also said the state government would allocate land for a regional office of the Union Fisheries Department within 15 days, and urged the Centre to lay the foundation stone and begin construction within a month.

Policy Asks and the Blue Economy Vision

The Chief Minister called on the Central government to support the establishment of Mega Seafood Processing Parks and facilitate greater seafood exports. He also sought Central intervention on rising fish feed costs, urged restrictions on excessive fish meal exports, and requested additional support on soybean availability.

Naidu welcomed the Centre's ongoing efforts to negotiate Free Trade Agreements to expand access to global markets. 'The blue economy is critical to achieving the goals of Viksit Bharat. We must work with the vision of Pond to Port, Farmer to Global Consumer and Blue Economy to Viksit Bharat. Andhra Pradesh can play a major role in fulfilling India's aspirations through the blue economy,' he said.

He emphasised that quality, sustainability, traceability, innovation, and zero pollution are non-negotiable for long-term success in the sector. With the corridor framework expected to take shape in the near term, the state's 1,053-km coastline and its access to the Godavari and Krishna rivers are set to anchor India's next seafood export push.