P. Surya Bhaskar of Devi Fisheries Limited, based in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, was crowned the winner of the second edition of the National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition, organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) on the sidelines of Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 in Kochi on 1 July 2026. The announcement was made by officials on Thursday, 2 July.

Key Results and Prize Money

Muthu Kumaran of Theva & Co, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, secured the second position, while Sagarika Sardar of SS Seafoods Private Limited, Kolkata, West Bengal, and Barabari Jena of Sabri Food Products Private Limited, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, were placed third and fourth respectively.

The winner took home a cash prize of ₹1,00,000. The second and third position holders received ₹75,000 and ₹50,000 respectively, while a consolation prize of ₹25,000 was awarded to the fourth-place finisher.

What the Competition Tested

The ten finalists were required to prepare six value-added seafood products currently in demand in international markets: Nobashi Shrimp, Breaded Butterfly Shrimp, Cooked Peeled Deveined Tail-On (PDTO) Shrimp, Marinated Shrimp Skewers, Breaded Squid Rings, and Fish Fillets.

Participants were assessed by a jury that included Sarika K, senior scientist at ICAR-CIFT, Kochi, and Nithin C T, processing and quality assurance supervisor at NIFPHATT, Kochi, among others. Evaluation criteria covered technical skill, hygiene, precision, presentation, and finished product quality.

Scale of the Skilling Drive Behind the Olympiad

The competition was not a standalone event — it was the culmination of an extensive capacity-building exercise. Ahead of the finale, MPEDA conducted 50 seafood value addition training programmes across the east and west coasts of India, training more than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals in preparing products with high international market demand.

Regional rounds were held in Mumbai for the West Coast Zone and Visakhapatnam for the East Coast Zone on 30 June, from which the ten finalists were selected.

What MPEDA Said

P. Jawahar, MPEDA Chairman, described the Olympiad as 'an important milestone in building a resilient and globally competitive seafood sector capable of meeting the evolving expectations of international markets.' Jawahar added that MPEDA continues to make sustained efforts across quality assurance, food safety, processing excellence, workforce skilling, sustainable seafood production, and supply chain reliability — and that the Olympiad serves as a key platform for strengthening India's seafood export ecosystem.

This is the second successive edition of the Olympiad, signalling MPEDA's intent to institutionalise competitive skilling as a pillar of India's seafood export strategy. With global demand for processed and value-added seafood rising, the outcomes of events like these will increasingly shape India's positioning in premium international markets.