The grand finale of the second edition of the National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition was held during Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 in Kochi on Wednesday. An initiative of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the Olympiad brought together ten trained seafood processing professionals, who demonstrated their culinary skills and technical expertise in preparing value-added seafood products. In a closely contested finale, P. Surya Bhaskar of Devi Fisheries Ltd., Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, emerged as the winner.

Muthu Kumaran of Theva & Co., Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, secured the second position, while Ms Sagarika Sardar of SS Seafoods Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata, West Bengal, and Ms Barasarani Jena of Sabri Food Products Pvt. Ltd., Bhubaneswar, Odisha, secured the third and fourth positions, respectively.

The winner received a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000, while the second and third prize winners received Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively. A consolation prize of Rs 25,000 was awarded to the fourth-position holder.

In the run-up to the event, MPEDA conducted 50 Seafood Value Addition Training Programmes across the east and west coasts of India, through which more than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals were trained in preparing seafood products with high demand in international markets.

The regional rounds of the Olympiad were held in Mumbai for the West Coast Zone and Visakhapatnam for the East Coast Zone. The ten finalists were selected from among the participants in the regional rounds held on June 30.

During the grand finale, the finalists were tasked with preparing six value-added seafood products that are 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.

Chairman, MPEDA, Shri P. Jawahar; Director, Dr Ram Mohan M.K.; Secretary, Dr Gibin Kumar; Joint Director, Shri Anilkumar; and Chief Guest and CEO, Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), Dr K. N. Raghavan, distributed cash prizes, medals and certificates to the winners.

The competition was evaluated by a jury comprising Senior Scientist, ICAR-CIFT, Kochi, Dr Sarika K.; Processing and Quality Assurance Supervisor, NIFPHATT, Kochi, Dr Nithin C.T.; Production Manager, Parayil Seafood Pvt. Ltd., Shri Francis Assisi; General Manager, Sandhya Aqua Exports Pvt. Ltd., Shri Jayan Jacob; and General Manager, VKM Foods, Shri Vijayakrishna. The participants were assessed on the basis of technical skill, hygiene, precision, presentation and the quality of the finished products.

Chairman, MPEDA, Shri P. Jawahar, said the Olympiad represents an important milestone in building a resilient and globally competitive seafood sector capable of meeting the evolving expectations of international markets. He said MPEDA is making sustained efforts to strengthen quality assurance, food safety, processing excellence, workforce skilling, sustainable seafood production and reliable supply chains. He added that the Olympiad serves as an important platform for strengthening India's seafood export ecosystem.

The event was attended by senior officials from the Central and State Governments, seafood exporters, international buyers, industry leaders, technical experts and delegates participating in Seafood Expo Bharat 2026.

The award-winning value-added seafood products prepared by the finalists were showcased at the Skill Olympiad Pavilion, along with live demonstrations and tasting sessions featuring export-oriented seafood value-added products developed through MPEDA's training programmes. A tasting session of the products was also organised at the MPEDA Skill Olympiad Pavilion.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Garima Singh/ Ishita Biswas

 

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